The Liberal Democrat Party has admitted it unlawfully discriminated against a candidate on the basis of his Christian faith.
David Campanale was selected as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems in December 2021, but was almost immediately subject to a campaign to remove him.
He says pressure to deselect him was ‘motivated primarily by animosity’ from local party members and LGBT activists to his Christian beliefs. Mr Campanale was formally deselected in August 2023.
The party initially denied any wrongdoing. In its original defence document, the Lib Dems claimed it ‘had a right to deselect’ candidates who ‘expressed religious beliefs’ that were not the same as their stated policy positions.
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