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Christine Jardine and Ed Davey, 2024 (Credit: PA Images)
Sophie Church
@sophiealichurch
There is anger within the Liberal Democrats over the party’s treatment of Christine Jardine, who was sacked from her front bench position last week for defying the whip on the welfare vote.
Jardine, first elected in 2017, was one of nine Lib Dem MPs to vote against a Conservative amendment calling for a review of access to benefits for foreign nationals and those with mental health issues. Liberal Democrat whips had instructed MPs to abstain.
The party, led by Ed Davey, has now been criticised for being “tone deaf” after Jardine was removed from her position as Women and Equalities Spokesperson.
One Liberal Democrat MP said: “Christine is very good. She's capable, warm, likeable and she supports her colleagues. To be treated like that in these circumstances is just not nice.
“It's not kind, but it just tells you that the people who are around Ed are more determined to protect themselves and their positions than they are to treat colleagues with the respect and consideration that they ought to be treated.”
A party insider told PoliitcsHome: “Quite a lot of activists are annoyed by it.
“It was a massive overreaction to remove her. Activists think Ed or the whips office should have changed the whip last minute.”
They added that “quite a few members” of the party’s Federal Policy Committee – responsible for researching and developing party policy – have been angered by the situation.
The party has also been criticised for the manner of Jardine's sacking.
Jardine first found out about her removal via social media, PoliticsHome understands, despite suggestions she had gone to journalists herself with the news. Davey later called Jardine personally to discuss what had happened.
Questions have since been raised in the party that Jardine’s sacking was motivated by a fear that she would challenge Davey for leadership of the party. Jardine confirmed she is not seeking to challenge Davey, however.
The Edinburgh West MP told PoliticsHome: “I have been blown away by the support and kind messages from so many people. But I also accept that I knew my decision to vote against that nasty Tory amendment could lead to what has happened, even though I voted with the whip on everything else.
"As I said to Ed when he called me over the weekend and we chatted, I now just want to get on with the job, continuing to represent people to the best of my ability, and move on.”
Lib Dem MPs have warned Jardine’s removal from the frontbench represents a “canary in the coalmine” for the leadership, accused of exerting too much control over the party while failing to provide a coherent strategy after securing a record-breaking 72 seats at the election last year.
“There has been a growing unhappiness amongst the parliamentary party that the control from the Leader's office is too tight – that we are instructed, not consulted, and that they sometimes get things wrong,” the MP said.
“It has been said amongst colleagues that [Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader] Daisy is particularly direct: ‘I'm awfully busy and important. I'm making time in my schedule to tell you what you've got to do and why’.”
“People are getting a bit frustrated with being nice people who happen not to be Conservatives,” added the party insider.
“There is a good group, about 10 or 12 MPs in the parliamentary party, who are really, really annoyed with how the approach to whipping and everything has been done. They just feel like we're abstaining on far too much, and a year from the general election, there's no coherent strategy for how we move forward.”
A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “We are grateful to Christine for her service to the party as a spokesperson over many years and know she will continue to champion our liberal values on the backbenches.
“Christine was informed before the vote that she'd lose her position if she broke the whip, and was then contacted to confirm her removal from the frontbench before any statement was given to the media.
“After winning our best ever general election result and beating the Conservatives and Labour at the local elections for the first time ever, the Liberal Democrats are focused on holding this Government to account and tackling Nigel Farage’s divisive politics head on.”
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