- Published
The Liberal Democrats don't tend to go for rhetorical fireworks or verbal kneecappings when grumbling about their leader.
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Democrats → publish → leader
But that doesn't mean there hasn't been grumbling going on.
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that → mean → ?
In the last week, two members of Sir Ed Davey's frontbench have resigned because they were unhappy with him, the party's direction and how policy is decided.
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policy → resign → him
It meant the prospect of a lengthy and potentially testy meeting for Sir Ed with his MPs on Tuesday evening.
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It → mean → evening
The Liberal Democrat leader arrived smiling, flanked by several loyal MPs, but made no comment as he entered the room.
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he → arrive → room
Nearly four hours later, when the meeting broke up, his deputy Daisy Cooper said: "There is overwhelming support for Ed in the parliamentary party and a real sense that we need to come together as a group.
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we → break → group
Earlier, behind closed doors, we understand Sir Ed told his MPs: "We have made changes.
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We → understand → changes
I am happy to embrace more changes.
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I → embrace → changes
I want us to work as a united front."
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us → want → front
In recent months he has appointed a new chief of staff, Ruth Younger, and James Holt, a veteran of the party's years in coalition government, as political director.
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he → appoint → director
Last week's resignations were described to the BBC by one party figure as a rather Lib Dem insurrection – dissent expressed modestly.
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resignations → describe → insurrection
Neither Charlie Maynard, a former Treasury spokesman and Alison Bennett, a former care and carers spokeswoman, have been publicly explicit about the reasons for their departures and both sought to express their concerns to Sir Ed privately and discreetly.
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both → seek → Ed
And, it is understood, there was no coordination between them in the timing of their resignations.
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it → understand → resignations
They were departures that led to fury among some of their colleagues, irritated that it made the party look divided.
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party → lead → colleagues
The resignations were the most clear indicators yet of an anxiety that has been bubbling away for over a year among some Liberal Democrat MPs.
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that → bubble → MPs
The essence of that anxiety is a fear they are not making enough of an impression and impact for the 72 MPs they have in parliament.
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they → make → parliament
"The big frustration is the lack of cut through, being noticed.
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frustration → cut → ?
But parliament doesn't shape things as much as it used to.
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it → shape → things
It's about algorithms now," is how one figure put it.
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figure → put → it
They added: "In the world of social media there is an incentive, even a financial incentive, to be divisive and extreme.
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They → add → media
That's a sandpit we refuse to play in.
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we → refuse → ?
"
Nonetheless, the party is planning to up its social media game, but do so in line with what it sees as its authentic temperament and values.
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it → plan → temperament
Those around Sir Ed Davey privately acknowledge there is what they claim to be a "small group" of Lib Dem MPs who are not happy with his leadership.
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who → acknowledge → leadership
It is suggested that number isn't greater than "half a dozen" - a phrase used by several people we have spoken to.
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we → suggest → people
But the anxiety about a perceived lack of impact involves far more MPs than that.
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anxiety → perceive → that
Some previous private critics have been won over by the recent changes to Sir Ed's team and are pleased to see the government talk about issues they care about: the European Union, changing the voting system for Westminster elections and social care in England, for instance.
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they → win → instance
They also hope the scale of their local campaigning, rather than poor national opinion poll ratings, will be more significant come the next general election.
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scale → hope → election
Al Pinkerton, the party's Europe spokesman, told the BBC there had been a frank exchange of views during the meeting, but Sir Ed's willingness to make changes had been "very well received."
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willingness → tell → changes
"It is a slog in the middle of a parliament, it's hard being the third party and it's such an enormous leap going from 15 MPs to 72," another party figure present told us.
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figure → go → us
"But we're getting there putting in place the structures to better deal with that and keep MPs happy."
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we → get → MPs
"Why would we get rid of our leader when no one else is pitching to be our leader?
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one → rid → leader
We need to let Ed get on with it," said another MP.
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MP → need → it
But they all know the underlying concern about impact – the challenge of being noticed – is real and not going away.
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concern → know → impact
The Aporia
