The NSW Liberals have suffered a major hit from the toxic brand damage engulfing the federal party as well as ongoing leadership scuttlebutt, with the state opposition’s primary vote plummeting to just 28 per cent.

The result will heap pressure on NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman, who will need to calm a jittery partyroom on Tuesday after the byelection loss in Kiama at the weekend , where Labor claimed the seat once held by convicted rapist and ex-Liberal MP Gareth Ward.

Speakman has vowed to stare down detractors who believe a change in leadership could improve the party’s poor performance. The Coalition’s primary vote has slumped 4 percentage points since July and is below the 35.4 per cent recorded when it lost the 2023 election.

Several senior Liberals, including deputy leader Na

See Full Page