Sussan Ley

Australian opposition leader Sussan Ley is facing a formal challenge to her leadership of the Liberal Party, after her shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, announced his intention to contest the position.

Taylor resigned from the front bench on Wednesday and confirmed his leadership bid on Thursday, citing what he described as the country’s “trouble” and the party’s loss of direction.

Taylor, who represents the conservative faction of the Liberal Party, narrowly lost to Ley in last year’s leadership vote following the party’s worst electoral defeat on record. Ley, the first woman to lead the Liberals, has since struggled with low …