Charlie Maynard quits Liberal Democrat treasury role amid Davey challenge reports
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Charlie Maynard, the Liberal Democrat MP for Witney, has resigned as the party’s Treasury spokesman amid reports that he is seeking support for a no-confidence vote in leader Ed Davey. The reported challenge reflects frustration among some MPs over the party’s lack of progress in opinion polls since its strong result at the 2024 general election.
Deputy leader Daisy Cooper and several frontbenchers have publicly backed Davey, describing the reported move as a distraction and saying the party should focus on opposing Reform UK. The Liberal Democrats won a record 72 seats in 2024, but recent YouGov polling puts them at 11 per cent, slightly below their share of the vote at that election.
- Charlie Maynard quit as Treasury spokesman amid reports of a leadership challenge.
- Several senior Liberal Democrats have backed Ed Davey.
- YouGov puts the party on 11 per cent, below its 2024 vote share.
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The Liberal Democrats had their best general election result in decades in 2024, winning 72 seats in parliament. Since then, however, the party has struggled to maintain its momentum, with recent opinion polls suggesting support has fallen to 11 per cent, below the share of the vote it received at that election.
This has created frustration among some MPs who feel the party is not making progress. Charlie Maynard, a Liberal Democrat MP and Treasury spokesman, has now resigned from his role, with reports suggesting he is attempting to gather support among fellow MPs to challenge party leader Ed Davey.
The reported challenge reflects broader discontent about the party's performance since its 2024 success. Other senior Liberal Democrats, including deputy leader Daisy Cooper, have publicly supported Davey and suggested the focus should be on opposing rival party Reform UK rather than on internal disputes.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Liberal Democrats achieved a historic breakthrough with 72 seats in 2024, but have since fallen to 11 per cent in polling—below their actual election share. Some MPs legitimately question whether the current leadership is capitalising on and consolidating this remarkable result, or whether a fresh direction could better build on the party's newfound position as a serious political force rather than watching gains erode.
The case against
The party has just secured its strongest election result in decades, and leadership stability is essential to consolidate this breakthrough and build from it. Post-election polling fluctuations are normal and do not justify destabilising internal contests; the focus should instead be on unified opposition to Reform UK and demonstrating competent governance. Davey has had minimal time to embed his leadership, and constant internal challenges would damage the party's credibility and distract from its policy agenda.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Now the Lib Dems plunge into civil war as frontbencher quits amid rumours of coup against Ed Davey”.