Australian PM Tony Abbott to face leadership challenge

Scott Morrison (L) and Julie Bishop (C) have said they will not challenge Mr Abbott, while Malcolm Turnbull (R) has yet to comment

Australian PM Tony Abbott says he and his Liberal party deputy leader Julie Bishop will “stand together” against a leadership challenge from MPs.

Backbencher Luke Simpkins called the motion on Friday, saying it was “time to test the support of the leadership”.

Mr Abbott has faced growing questions about his leadership in recent weeks.

He was widely ridiculed for giving a knighthood to Prince Phillip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, and blamed for a Liberal defeat in Queensland elections.

Ms Bishop, who is also foreign minister, has been seen as a potential leadership challenger.

But in a brief statement to the media on Friday, she said she agreed with Mr Abbott that “due to cabinet solidarity and my position as deputy there should be support for current leadership in spill motion”.

‘Disconnection’

In an email to Liberal MPs, Mr Simpkins said he was tabling a spill motion because he had been “inundated” with questions about “the direction the government is being led in”.

“The knighthood issue was for many the final proof of a disconnection with the people,” he said, adding that it was “time to test the support of the leadership in the party room”.

BBC