TONY Abbott could be forgiven for thinking he’s had the week from hell — but if a group of residents in his Sydney northern beaches electorate have their way, it could be about to get a whole lot worse.

Action group People of Warringah, or POW for short, are determined to halt the former prime minister’s plans to remain as their local MP.

“Malcolm Turnbull did 50 per cent of the job but we still need to remove [Abbott] from the seat of Warringah,” said POW co-convener Nathan Thomas, an accountant from Cremorne in Sydney.

But ousting Mr Abbott will be a herculean task with his electorate, that includes the tourist hot spot of Manly, considered a blue ribbon Liberal stronghold.

Indeed, earlier this week, Mr Abbott exclusively told news.com.au that he had no plans to retire as the local member.

However, Mr Thomas said disenchantment with their MP had never been higher with Liberal voters disgruntled at Mr Abbott’s position on issues such as the treatment of refugees and climate change.

PEOPLE DON’T WANT TONY

“In Warringah, families have voted Liberal for generations but a lot of people have said when Abbott became prime minister some his strong and heartless views have been on show for everyone to see.

“People want to vote Liberal but they don’t want Tony to be their local member.”

The issue that really got Mr Thomas’ “blood boiling” was Mr Abbott’s refusal to allow Coalition MPs to vote how they wished on gay marriage.

”He’s a Liberal who doesn’t support a conscience vote on same-sex marriage when they are supposed to be the party of the conscience vote — it’s just ridiculous.”

The group’s meetings have been attracting about 50 people with a common refrain that Mr Abbott hasn’t done enough on local issues such as traffic congestion.

Mr Thomas said it was unlikely Labor or the Greens would capture many votes on Sydney’s northern beaches but POW would consider throwing their support behind a strong independent candidate.

An MP closer in perspective to newly-minted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who backs marriage equality, would have more in common with the area’s residents, he claimed.

Asked if the campaign was just kicking a man when he was down, Mr Thomas said: “This is not a personal attack, it’s about is he doing good job and I think he’s done an awful job”.

Local resident Lucy Walters told the local newspaper The Manly Daily Mr Abbott was a poor local member.

“I don’t think he’s done anything for us in the time he’s been prime minister and I didn’t agree with the way he thought things should be.”

A FAITHFUL LOCAL MEMBER

Not everyone in Warringah shares these views. Manly Liberal councillor Adele Heasman said Mr Abbot was “a faithful local member and very committed to the community”.

In particular, she commended him on his voluntary work with the local rural fire brigade and surf club. “He’s just Tony to them and I know they love him and he values the relationship he has with them.”

Kevin Harris, president of the Queenscliff Surf Club, which both Mr Abbott and NSW Premier Mike Baird are members, refused to be drawn on whether he would welcome the former prime minister staying on as the local member.

But he did complement him on his dedication to the club.

“He still turns up a couple of times a year and patrols as an active member,” Mr Harris said.

“Once he puts his patrol outfit on, he’s pretty incognito.”

Mr Harris said with Abbott’s reduced workload he was more than welcome to take on a few more patrols.

When contacted by news.com.au, Mr Abbott’s office refused to comment on the campaign to oust him.

OUSTING ABBOTT NOT EASY

Beating Mr Abbott will not be easy. While Labor’s Maxine McKew caused a major upset by unseating former Prime Minister John Howard in the 2007 ‘Ruddslide’ election, Mr Abbott has a stronger grip on Warringah than his mentor ever had in the Bennelong electorate.

But Mr Thomas is undeterred with a snap poll by the Manly Daily, taken after Mr Abbott was toppled, showing a massive 80 per cent of local residents were pleased their local MP had lost the top job.

“A moderate Liberal would romp it in here but if Tony Abbott stays I don’t think Warringah will be a safe seat anymore.”