Andrew Hastie says he will not contest Sussan Ley’s Liberal leadership

After a week of feverish speculation, Andrew Hastie said he will not contest the Liberal party leadership, issuing a statement just after 4pm on Friday saying he did not have the support needed to become leader. Technically, Hastie was never officially part of a contest. Speculation about a bid began last Friday when an active group of supporters launched a campaign to install Hastie after Sussan Ley presided over the second Coalition breakup in eight months.

The 43-year-old former Special Air Service soldier had been laying out a nationalist vision on energy, immigration and manufacturing that also served as a leadership pitch. Hastie resigned from the shadow cabinet in October, a move that allowed him to pursue that agenda more freely, and conservative MPs had been preparing for a possible leadership spill amid poor polling.

As the Coalition imploded last week, Hastie’s allies and then Hastie himself saw an opening, with some supporters imagining a pre-ordained transition that would have Angus Taylor step aside and Ley allow a peaceful handover. Those scenarios did not materialise. Secret talks between Hastie and Taylor in Melbourne on Monday ended without resolution, and after canvassing colleagues Hastie concluded he did not have the necessary support.

In his statement he said: "Having consulted with colleagues over the past week, and respecting their honest feedback to me, it is clear that I do not have the support needed to become leader of the Liberal Party.

andrew hastie, sussan ley, angus taylor, liberal party, leadership challenge, leadership contest, leadership spill, shadow cabinet resignation, nationalist vision, energy immigration manufacturing, coalition breakup, one nation, pauline hanson