"He looked shell-shocked," said one Liberal. Tony Abbott departs the Liberal party room meeting after holding on to the prime ministership. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In a statement to camera Mr Abbott declared that the matter was now resolved. "The Liberal Party has dealt with the spill motion and now this matter is behind us," he said. "I love this country, I will do my best to help our country to succeed," he said.

Mr Abbott was due to speak to the media before question time at 2pm. Prime Minister Tony Abbott arrives for the party room meeting at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Several MPs expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister did not make any concessions regarding his controversial chief of staff Peta Credlin, whom many MPs want removed. "It doesn't mean jack if his office doesn't change," said one MP immediately after the meeting. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrives for the vote. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"[Credlin] has to go," said another. The Liberal MP who moved the spill motion, West Australian Luke Simpkins described the result as a "strong show" but said he was pleased with the Prime Minister's pledges. Treasurer Joe Hockey at the back of a big group accompanying Prime Minister Tony Abbott as he arrives for the party room meeting at Parliament House on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "I certainly won't be [pushing for leadership change] again," he told Sky News. "Even the people who backed the motion want to give the Prime Minister the opportunity to implement what he said he'd do," Mr Simpkins said.

The Member for Brisbane Teresa Gambaro said ""The Prime Minister has indicated that he is willing to change and involve the backbench in policy making - this is where the Australian people speak to us. Our constituents deserve to be heard." Queensland Liberal MP Ross Vasta, whose wife recently gave birth, was absent from the meeting and one unknown MP voted informally. The party room, which met in a special meeting on Monday at 9am, took just minutes to resolve a spill motion but the result was much closer than the 30 votes in favour that had been predicted ahead of the spill. While Mr Abbott remains Prime Minister he faces a bitterly divided party room, with Liberal senator Cory Bernardi lashing out at plotters trying to undermine Mr Abbott and calling on Malcolm Turnbull and other ministerial plotters to resign from cabinet. Mr Turnbull has never stated he would run for the leadership, although those working against the Prime Minister have rallying around the former Liberal leader.

Mr Turnbull entered the party room meeting alone. Arthur Sinodinos, the most senior Liberal to declare his support for the spill motion, walked in with cabinet minister Scott Morrison. The other often touted leadership candidate Julie Bishop who, like Mr Turnbull, has never stated she would contest the position, entered the party room alongside Mr Abbott. The Prime Minister was flanked by a throng of ministers and backbenchers, including Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Education Minister Christopher Pyne and Treasurer Joe Hockey. Ahead of the meeting, dissidents pushing for change warned they would not be deterred by an initial defeat. West Australian backbencher Don Randall seconded the motion put by Luke Simpkins to spill the leader and deputy positions. Mr Abbott made a point of approaching the pair in the party room before the ballot was counted.

Arriving in Canberra for the resumption of Parliament for the year, Mr Randall said "no matter what happens … I suspect this is just the beginning of a process where we have to sort it out once and for all". Newspoll results published by News Corp publications on Monday show Mr Abbott's approval rating has plunged to minus 44, with just 24 per cent of voters satisfied with his performance, compared with 68 per cent who are dissatisfied. About 64 per cent of the 1178 voters surveyed said they preferred Mr Turnbull to lead the Liberal Party compared with 25 per cent who said they preferred Mr Abbott. It is also expected Mr Abbott could face a second push to remove him from office. Follow us on Twitter