A series of Liberal Democrat MPs have issued public statements backing Ed Davey after a frontbencher, Charlie Maynard, resigned his post as part of a reported bid to oust him as leader.

Maynard left his role as a Treasury spokesman on Friday afternoon amid wider criticism of Davey among Liberal Democrat MPs. 

Alison Bennett, the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex, left her role as care and carers spokesperson on 5 October without issuing a public explanation. Clive Jones, the Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham, was appointed as Bennett’s replacement.

Earlier this month, Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said that Davey had “missed the point” in a BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview in which he strongly criticised Andy Burnham’s speech to Labour conference. Gordon told his leader to “think again”.

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Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, was the first to issue a statement of support in Davey after Maynard’s resignation. 

Since then, a string of Liberal Democrat MPs have also expressed confidence in Davey as leader. 

This page will be updated as more MPs respond.

Last updated: Friday 9 October 2026, 18:42

Publicly backed Davey

• Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) – environment, food and rural affairs spokesperson

“Ed won us our best election result since Lloyd George’s day, most polls suggest we’ll hold or even add to those record numbers of MPs… To think we’re helped by this kind of rubbish, you’d need to be smoking the kind of stuff even we aren’t in favour of legalising…”

• Joshua Reynolds (Maidenhead) – investment and trade spokesperson

“Ed was right to say at that we are in the fight of our lives against the right, who want to turn our country into their version of Trump’s America.

“Ed Davey is the most successful leader in Lib Dem history, and will be the one to lead us into the next general election.”

• Helen Morgan (North Shropshire) – health and social care spokesperson

“For the avoidance of doubt, I won’t be signing this letter.

“It’s a ridiculous distraction. Ed is clearly the best person to lead us to the next general election and beyond, and like the overwhelming majority of my MP colleagues, I’m absolutely furious.”

• James MacCleary (Lewes) – defence spokesperson

“Not a lot surprises me in politics any more but this was a real shock. Ed Davey is the most successful leader electorally in our party’s history and has my full support. This move is poorly judged when we should be concentrating on defeating the far right.”

• Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) – science, innovation and technology spokesperson

“I’ve never felt so unsafe with my family in this country. As a Liberal Democrat, I’m proud we are the last line of defence against a Reform government and the politics of fear.

“Ed led us to a historic win as Liberal Democrats, getting so many colleagues elected, and is fighting for this country’s future.

“Alongside many colleagues, I’m focused on delivering for local people, shaping our nation’s future for the better and standing as a united party to take on the Right. I refuse to let Trump’s America become Farage’s Britain.”

• Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) – Liberal Democrat president

“Last year, I stood up in parliament and challenged the weaponisation of our St. George’s flag.

“The next day, a man spewing far-right abuse came to physically attack my office and has returned multiple times to intimidate, abuse and cause damage. He has since been convicted.

“The fight the Liberal Democrats must be focused on is our fight against this kind of hate and division that affects so many, fuelled by far-right populists across our country.

“This is the fight that matters.

“Ed Davey has been leading us in that liberal fight, and I absolutely back him in doing so.”

• Munira Wilson (Twickenham) – education, children and families spokesperson

“Beyond shocked and appalled at this.

“Ed Davey has my full support and that of the vast majority of MPs.

“All our focus should be on fighting the populists who are trying to tear our nation apart, rather than trying to tear ourselves apart.”

• Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset) – culture, media and sport spokesperson

“I have spent my week in my constituency, visiting charities and businesses who are only just holding it together in a world of punishing employers NI rates, rising fuel and energy costs and all the additional challenges of making things work in a semi rural area.

“What my constituents need is a Lib Dem MP fighting for a better deal from this Labour government, and resisting the rise of the far right. So that’s what I’ll be doing, led by Ed Davey, who took our party to it’s best result in a century and who has my support.”

• Liz Jarvis (Eastleigh)

“We wouldn’t have had our best ever result without Ed and he has always been a supportive (and astute) leader. I’m focusing on delivering for my constituents, holding the government to account and making sure Reform and the Tories don’t get anywhere near No 10.”

• Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead)

“The Liberal Democrats are the last line that my constituency and this country have against a Reform government. I stand with my party and my leader, who led us to the best ever election result in our party’s history. I fully back him to lead us into the next general election.

• Daisy Cooper (St Albans) – deputy leader and Treasury spokesperson

“We Lib Dems are the last line of defence against a Reform UK govt, and Ed is determined to lead a strong and united party into the next [general election] whenever it comes.

“The vast majority of our MPs support Ed, want him to lead the party into the next [general election] and are furious at this distraction.”

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