NSW Liberal Leader Mark Speakman will stand down just hours after vowing he would continue fighting for the leadership, paving the way for Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane to take over.

Speakman was finally convinced to quit as leader on Thursday, after powerbrokers told him he had lost the support of his moderate colleagues after he failed to act on an “ultimate act of treachery”.

He was scheduled to announce the decision at 5pm.

Colleagues were aghast that Speakman did not take decisive action against his leadership nemesis Alister Henskens, who made a pitch to right-wing colleagues last week in a bid to convince them he should replace Speakman.

Speakman was told of the briefing, which was attended by all right-wing MPs except Natasha Maclaren-Jones who was overseas, but did not take action

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