Shannon Deery: The biggest immediate danger for Jess Wilson is the culture inside the Liberal tent

Jess Wilson is leading a party with a long history of undermining its own chances. Within one day of the coup the infighting has reignited and at least one senior MP is considering quitting.

In Jess Wilson’s elevation to Opposition Leader Victorians have been promised another “new dawn” for the Liberal Party.

They were the words of Wilson’s close confidant and key ally Brad Rowswell who was central to the coup on Brad Battin on Tuesday.

Less than 24 hours later one MP remarked that the party’s new world order was “crumbling already”.

New Opposition Leader Jess Wilson took the reins on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

At least one senior MP had discussed with colleagues bowing out of politics.

New Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, Bev McArthur, was being heckled in meetings, according to multiple sources.

And a small posse of MPs remained furious at being blindsided by the coup.

Promoting Wilson to leader was hailed as a new dawn for the Liberals. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Has the sun already set on the new dawn?

This would be the Liberal Party way.

In the days that followed the claim was openly mocked by MPs, Battin was attacked by colleagues for holding a press conference over the controversial Daniel Andrews bicycle car crash, the partyroom imploded over the Moira Deeming defamation lawsuit, former MP Matt Bach announced his unexpected retirement and civil war erupted following the expulsion of leading conservative powerbroker Ivan Stratov.

Now, there remains within the party an overwhelming sense of hope and optimism about the change to Wilson and the promised factional peace deal that facilitated the coup.

But that is matched by an equal level of anxiety and skepticism about the prospect of the party actually being able to be disciplined enough to make this work.

The party’s history suggests the risk far outweighs the potential reward.

Not because she lacks talent, but because she’s stepping into a party with a long history of undermining its own chances.

The biggest immediate danger is the culture inside the Liberal tent.

The party she leads is dangerously fragile, deeply factionalised, and entering yet another rebuilding phase after years of instability.

This is a party that has cycled through leaders at breakneck speed and has shown time and again that loyalty lasts right up until the moment it doesn’t.

The Liberal Party has cycled through leaders at breakneck speed. Picture: Mark Knight

Wilson may have been backed by a cross-factional group to oust Battin, but history shows such alliances rarely survive the first major political storm.

What she has in her favour is the ability to be bold.

She need not be beholden to the whims and fancies of her colleagues knowing they would be insane to change leaders again ahead of the election.

It means she should be able to lead without the fear of retribution.

MPs were overwhelming positive of the change on Wednesday, saying those angry were in the minority.

But as we’ve seen time and again, it takes only a handful of destabilisers to cause chaos.

Which means Wilson’s challenge isn’t just taking on Jacinta Allan.

It’s surviving her own party long enough to do it.

Originally published as Shannon Deery: The biggest immediate danger for Jess Wilson is the culture inside the Liberal tent