Leading Christians in the Liberal Democrats have called for an independent investigation into how a churchgoing parliamentary hopeful was forced out over his faith, which led to the party admitting religious discrimination in court.
The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum (LDCF) has written to party leadership after David Campanale won his four-year legal battle, having been deselected as the candidate for Sutton and Cheam in 2022. The former BBC journalist said he was ousted by local activists, who were angered that he was an evangelical Christian.
Ahead of an initial hearing over damages, which could exceed £250,000, Campanale told Premier Christian News that party leader Ed Davey should “step aside” if he was “unwilling to address the law-breaking”.
LDCF speaks out
Campanale’s case “exposes failings at multiple levels in the party”, according to LDCF chair Olivia Honeyman. She said the party's acceptance of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010
“matters to David and to us as a Christian body within the party”.
In the forum’s first statement since the acknowledgement in court in April, members expressed concern about a possible hidden “provision, criterion or practice” within the party impacting Christians and others wanting to uphold adherence to protected characteristics.
Despite having stood in elections for the Lib Dems and winning the selection contest for the south-west London seat in 2021, Campanale said he came under intense interrogation about his Christian beliefs. Legal documents likened it to the “Spanish inquisition” with suspicion over his views on abortion and assisted suicide, as well as a former association with the Christian People’s Alliance. Some activists refused to campaign alongside him, claiming they would be “triggered” if they bumped into him.
John Pugh, LDCF spokesperson and former MP, told Premier the Lib Dems need to address how some members and officials “appeared to ignore some of [the party’s] own procedures”. He believed an inquiry would show the party was “serious about discrimination” and ensure failures would not be repeated.
Sir Simon Hughes, previously Lib Dem federal president and a Christian, said he “is clear that there was manifest discrimination” against Campanale by members which officials at a local, regional and English level failed to address. He believed there should be “an unqualified official apology on behalf of the Liberal Democrats” to Campanale.
The former justice minister said that “candidates must be open to questioning about their beliefs and faith”, but deselection on the grounds of a protected characteristic was unlawful.
'Step aside and make way for new leadership'
A first hearing to decide how much the Liberal Democrats should pay in damages will take place at the Central London County Court on Monday.
Campanale told Premier that he has faced “an attitude of denial” to discrimination and that there needs to be “a clear out of the people responsible in the party hierarchy”, referencing two recent cases where women have won discrimination claims against the Lib Dems over beliefs on biological sex.
“We're seeing serial law-breaking in the Liberal Democrats under the leadership of Sir Edward Davey. Having stood for election as party leader saying that conscience must be defended, the very first moment he has had an opportunity to defend conscience, he's gone missing.
“If figures like Sir Edward Davey and the party president Josh Babarinde are unwilling to address the law-breaking, then they need to step aside from their positions and make way for new leadership, under people in parliament who are prepared to defend liberal principles”, Campanale added.
Party response
The Liberal Democrats did not provide a response to LDCF’s letter.
A Party spokesperson told Premier Christian News that “it is an ongoing legal case so it would not be appropriate to comment.”
“The Liberal Democrats are home to people of all faiths and none, including many Christians. Three Liberal Democrat MPs in neighbouring seats to Sutton and Cheam are practising Christians including party leader Ed Davey”, the spokesperson added.