Sussan Ley’s leadership all but over after Coalition split, senior Liberals say

Senior Liberals believe Sussan Ley will lose her position as leader, as one MP said ‘you can’t come back from this’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Sussan Ley’s leadership of the Liberal party is all but over, senior colleagues believe, after a spectacular split over hate speech laws blew up the Coalition for the second time in eight months.

Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie are the leading contenders to replace her, according to multiple sources who anticipate a challenge could begin to materialise as early as Friday, after the day of mourning for the Bondi massacre.