Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard has resigned from the party’s frontbench in protest at Ed Davey‘s leadership.
The Witney MP left his role as a Treasury spokesman on Friday, as reported by the Financial Times.
Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, moved quickly to back Davey in a statement. “The vast majority of our MPs support Ed, want him to lead the party into the next election, and are furious at this distraction”, she said.
She added: “We Liberal Democrats are the last line of defence against a Reform UK government, and Ed is determined to lead a strong and united party into the next general election whenever it comes.
“As Ed said at conference we are in the fight of our lives against the right who want to turn our country into their version of Trump’s America.”
Maynard was first elected to parliament at the 2024 general election for the constituency of Witney, David Cameron‘s former seat. He was the first non-Conservative MP to be elected to represent Witney in parliament since 1922.
Before entering frontline politics, Maynard co-founded BDA Partners, an international investment advisory firm at the age of 25. In January 2021, he stepped backed from an executive role, becoming BDA’s non-executive chairman.
Maynard’s resignation comes amid wider criticism of Davey within the Liberal Democrats parliamentary party.
Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, publicly criticised Davey over his response to Andy Burnham’s first Labour conference speech as prime minister.
In a post on X earlier this month, Gordon said he had listened to Davey on BBC Radio 4‘s Today programme, and that “frankly, I think he missed the point”.
Davey had argued that Burnham‘s plan to change the triple lock from 2030 to fund a National Care Service had “two big problems”.
He said: “First of all, he’s delaying any action on social care. He said he wouldn’t. He’s now kicked it into the middle of the next decade or the end of the next decade, when we need urgent action.”
The leader of the Liberal Democrats also contended that Burnham’s plan to adjust the triple lock “would put more pensioners into poverty”.
Davey stated: “That would mean that people who are working hard now, the millennials, when they retire, they’d have a very poor pension.”
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Gordon objected to this stance, writing: “We talk about fairness, yet our answer is to give the same increase to every pensioner, treating the one choosing between heating and eating exactly the same as the one with millions in the bank. I can see no moral or fiscal case for above inflation rises for millionaires.”
Gordon was backed by his colleague, Vikki Slade. In a post on BlueSky, Slade wrote that most “millennials don’t think there will be a state pension when they retire so this isn’t being done with them in mind.”
Last week, Alison Bennett resigned as care and carers spokesperson on the Liberal Democrat frontbench without issuing a public explanation. Clive Jones was appointed to replace her.
This is intriguing, especially given the importance of care to the Liberal Democrat platform under Ed Davey – and it's prominence in Andy Burnham's conference speechIt comes amid a Lib Dem backlash over Davey's response to Burnham's address…
The constitution of the Liberal Democrats mandates that a leadership election take place at least once per Westminster parliament, provided the leader is not a member of the government. The last Liberal Democrat leadership election was held in 2024 when Davey was re-elected unopposed.
A leadership election is automatically triggered if Liberal Democrat MPs pass a vote of no confidence.
The FT report concerning the resignation of Maynard on Friday prompted a series of Liberal Democrat MPs to issue statements supporting Davey’s position.
Victoria Collins, a Liberal Democrat frontbencher who also serves as party vice president, posted to BlueSky: “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 and is fighting for this country’s future.”
Joshua Reynolds, the party’s investment and trade spokesperson, posted to X: “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 is the most successful leader in Lib Dem history, and will be the one to lead us into the next general election.”
Helen Morgan, the party’s health and social care spokesperson, described the challenge to Davey’s leadership as a “distraction”.
She said: “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, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson, stated: “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.”
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 and is fighting for this country's future.
— Victoria Collins MP (@victoria-collins.bsky.social) 2026-10-09T15:09:36.249Z
