Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey is facing calls to apologise after the party admitted discriminating against a Christian candidate, with one ringleader now sitting on the party’s front bench. The Telegraph has more.
David Campanale was “mocked and abused” for his religious beliefs before being forced out as a prospective candidate in a case that has caused bitter division within the party.
One of the ringleaders in the action against him was Luke Taylor, his rival for the seat, who is now the Lib Dem MP for Sutton and Cheam and sits on the party’s front bench as the Spokesman for London, court documents show.
In a signed declaration seen by the Telegraph, the party has admitted multiple counts of unlawful religious discrimination and agreed to pay Campanale damages.
The four-year legal battle leaves the party facing a bill expected to exceed £250,000.
The Lib Dems’ treatment of Campanale has received widespread criticism, including from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who said it could make it “impossible” for Christians to stand as Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidates.
The news comes at a crucial time for the party, just days before the local elections.
Senior party members are understood to be pushing privately for Sir Ed, himself a committed Christian, to apologise.
Internal emails seen by the Telegraph suggest that his office was handling the case as early as January 2022, though party sources insist it was being dealt with locally.
The calls for an apology have been echoed publicly by Lord Young of Acton, the General Secretary of the Free Speech Union.
“Ed Davey owes David Campanale an apology. He’s clearly been discriminated against for his Christian beliefs,” he said.
“The Lib Dems wouldn’t discriminate against a Muslim, a Hindu or Sikh because of their religious faith. Why are Christians the only faith community not welcome in the party?”
Campanale, an award-winning former BBC journalist, said: “I know Sir Ed Davey well, having been vice-chair of his own neighbouring constituency party.
“Despite Ed having criticised ‘growing intolerance within progressive, liberal parties the world over’, he has overseen disgraceful discrimination in his own party and on his own doorstep. His would-be party of lawmakers have been unmasked as arrogant law breakers.”
Campanale was selected as a prospective parliamentary candidate in December 2021, but was almost immediately subject to a campaign to remove him, which he claimed was “motivated primarily by animosity” by local party members and LGBT activists to his Christian beliefs.
At least six complaints were made as part of what the chairman of the local party described as a “concerted and organised campaign” amid a “febrile atmosphere”.
They focused on the fact that a decade earlier he had been a member of the Christian People’s Alliance (CPA), which has campaigned against abortion and gay marriage.
The complaints, which were later dismissed, included that Campanale “has made contributions defending Christian values”.
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He should join a party that welcomes Christian values: Restore Britain.
Who is Ed Davey?
Oh, the “Liberal Democrats”. Forgot about them.
Ed Davey, ..such an irrelevance!
” Ho dear, how sad, never mind!”
Why would a christian want to be involved with the sodding limp dems?
If you ask me they did him a favour.
Indeed.
Not surprising – as it’s a component of the Great Replacement.
Seems as if the true nature of both the Greens abd the LibDems(sic twice) are becoming ever more clear.
It’s always the way that those who are most prone to bragging about their tolerance who are also the most likely to deride outsiders. ‘The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.’