Lib Dems face inquiry call over deselection discrimination

Lib Dems inquiry deselection call grows after party admits unlawfully discriminating against Christian candidate.

The Liberal Democrats are now facing mounting pressure to launch an independent investigation into the deselection of a former BBC journalist as an election candidate. They've acknowledged it was unlawful discrimination based on his religious beliefs. David Campanale was stopped from standing in the Sutton and Cheam constituency ahead of the 2024 general election, and a civil court in London is set to begin proceedings this week to determine the damages and costs he is owed.

Campanale was chosen as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the London seat in late 2021. But then, in the run-up to the 2024 election, the party deselected him in favor of Luke Taylor, who went on to win the constituency for the Liberal Democrats. The party has now accepted Campanale's claim in full. It acknowledges it violated the Equality Act.

Discrimination claims detailed in court

Campanale said he was "mocked and abused" by party members over his Christian beliefs. These beliefs are protected under the Equality Act. He claimed he was told not to campaign in certain wards where activists didn't want him because they disagreed with his views on "matters of conscience," which were among the allegations brought before the Central London County Court. But the party hasn't contested these claims.

The deselection has drawn sharp criticism from within the party's own ranks. It's a serious issue. And the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum, a party group, has formally called for an inquiry into the deselection process because they believe it raises questions about fairness and transparency. John Pugh, a former MP and spokesperson for the forum, said that launching an investigation would send a clear message that Liberal Democrats are serious about discrimination.

Campanale's case has also garnered support from Tim Farron, the party's former leader. In a statement, Farron said that while he had always found the Liberal Democrats to be a "welcoming home" for all faiths, it was clear in this case that the party "did not get this right." He added: "It is right that the party now takes steps so that this can never be allowed to happen again, to anyone of any protected characteristic including Christians. And I will be pushing them to do just that."

A widening backlash

The controversy is not limited to Campanale's case. A separate group, Liberal Voice for Women, which campaigns to ensure women's sex-based rights and representation are respected within the party, has threatened to escalate concerns about discrimination to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Zoe Hollowood, the group's chair, wrote to the party's chief executive Mike Dixon this week arguing that complaints raised by its members were being dismissed while complaints about them were "routinely" progressed. But it's different in Northern Ireland. Under the Equality Act, religion or belief , including holding gender critical views , can be protected from discrimination, and the Act applies to Great Britain while Northern Ireland has separate equality legislation.

Hollowood's letter demanded that if a review of the party's complaints system by its Federal Audit and Scrutiny Committee is not completed by September, it should be handed to an independent external reviewer and finished by the end of the year. But the party's chief executive has responded. He'll prioritize support for completing the review, it's understood.

Previous cases raise questions

It's not the first time the Liberal Democrats have faced legal action over discrimination claims. But last year's case was different. The party was ordered to pay £14,000 to Natalie Bird, a former parliamentary candidate who says she was driven out of the party and barred from standing as an MP over her gender-critical views.

In 2024, an anonymous parliamentary researcher crowd-funded more than £11,000 to bring an employment tribunal case against an unnamed Liberal Democrat MP, arguing she had been dismissed after voicing her belief that "sex is real, immutable and important." It's understood that case has since been settled out of court. So no legal ruling was made. But the researcher's core claim remains unchallenged in a formal judgment.

The Campanale case is different. The party has admitted liability in full, so there's little room for ambiguity about what actually happened, and the Lib Dems' inquiry deselection call is now coming from within the party itself, not just from external critics.

Party defends its record

A party spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing Campanale case. But they said the Liberal Democrats were "home to people of all faiths and none, including many Christians." And they added that three Liberal Democrat MPs in neighbouring seats to Sutton and Cheam are practising Christians, including party leader Ed Davey. That's a lot.

That defense hasn't quieted the calls for a deeper investigation. Critics see the admission of unlawful discrimination as something that demands much more than a simple statement of welcome, and they're insisting it must trigger a structural response instead. So it's not enough.

"Launching an investigation would send a message that Liberal Democrats are serious about discrimination."

John Pugh, former Liberal Democrat MP

What comes next

The civil court in London begins its work this week. It will decide what damages and costs Campanale is due. Separately, the party's internal review of its complaints system is expected to be completed by September, unless it's handed to an external reviewer as demanded by Liberal Voice for Women. But that's not guaranteed.

It's not settled yet. But with a former leader publicly calling for reforms and a party group demanding an independent investigation, the pressure on the party leadership over the Lib Dems inquiry deselection debate is unlikely to fade quickly.

• David Campanale was selected as a candidate in late 2021 and deselected before the 2024 election.
• The party has admitted unlawfully discriminating against him under the Equality Act.
• A civil court will determine damages and costs this week.
• The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum has called for an inquiry.
• Former leader Tim Farron has backed calls for reforms.
• Liberal Voice for Women has threatened to raise concerns with the Equality and Human Rights Commission.