A former Liberal Democrat candidate has filed a civil case against the party, claiming that discrimination against his Christianity cost him his political career. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

The case is being heard at the Central London County Court, where David Campanale is seeking £790,000 in damages. The Liberal Democrats, in turn, consider this amount "grossly inflated and egregious."

Background

Campanale, a former BBC journalist, was selected as the party's candidate for Sutton and Cheam in 2021 but was removed in August 2023. He claims he was mocked and abused over his Christian beliefs and faced an organized campaign to remove him.

The Liberal Democrats have admitted claims of direct and indirect discrimination on grounds of religion or belief under the Equality Act and their failure to deal with complaints Campanale made about his treatment, leaving the amount of damages to be determined by the court.

Claimed Damages

Campanale's schedule of loss puts his claim at £788,740.75, including interest. It seeks compensation for injury to feelings, aggravated damages, past and future earnings, the loss of an MP's pension, counselling costs, and the "loss of a chance" or "loss of political capital."

However, in a counter-schedule filed on Friday, the Lib Dems described Campanale's claim as "grossly inflated and egregious." Their lawyers say £14,000 should be awarded for injury to feelings, and as a volunteer political party member, Campanale could have been expected to withstand "rigorous political debate and criticism." They put aggravated damages, past and future loss of earnings, an MP's pension, and the loss of political capital at £0.

Campanale's Testimony

In his claim, Campanale said that at a meeting in January 2022, he was questioned about his Christianity by about 30 people and asked whether he was enjoying his "martyrdom just like Jesus did." He also claims he was excluded from election leaflets and told not to campaign in certain wards because activists disagreed with his beliefs.

His claim also referred to a phone call in March 2022 in which he said Luke Taylor, his replacement, told him that he had no right to a conscience based on his faith and that a "secular party" was being built with no place for Christians.

After Campanale was removed, Taylor won the seat with a majority of 3,801. The seat has since become safer territory for the Lib Dems, with recent polls putting them well ahead of the Conservatives.

Criticism Within the Party

The case has prompted criticism from senior Liberal Democrat figures inside and outside the party. The former leader Tim Farron and former deputy leader Simon Hughes have backed calls for an independent inquiry. Farron has urged the party to apologize, saying there had been "manifest discrimination" against Campanale and party figures at all levels of the party failed to intervene.

Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, warned the position taken by the Liberal Democrats could make it "impossible" for Christians and people with other strong religious beliefs to represent the party.

Party's Response

Before admitting the claims, the Lib Dems said in their defense that the party could deselect candidates where the expression of religious beliefs conflicted with its policies or values. The Lib Dems defense also described as a "statement of fact" the claim that the era associated with prominent Christian Liberal Democrats such as Shirley Williams and Charles Kennedy was over.

A Lib Dem spokesperson said before their submitted counter-schedule: "This 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 neighboring seats to Sutton and Cheam are practicing Christians including party leader Ed Davey."