Liberal Democrats Admit Unlawful Discrimination Against Former Candidate and Face Court Ruling on Damages

The Liberal Democrats have admitted they unlawfully discriminated against David Campanale on the basis of his religious beliefs when they deselected him as prospective parliamentary candidate for Sutton and Cheam. BBC News reported that a civil court in London will this week begin the process of deciding damages and costs owed to Campanale.

Campanale was selected for the London seat at the end of 2021.

He was removed in the run-up to the 2024 general election and replaced by Luke Taylor, who won the constituency for the party. Campanale told the Central London County Court he was mocked and abused by party members over his Christian beliefs and was told not to campaign in certain wards where activists disagreed with his views on matters of conscience. The party accepted his claim in full.

The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum has called for an independent investigation into the deselection. John Pugh, a former MP and forum spokesperson, said launching an inquiry would send a message that the party is serious about discrimination. Tim Farron, the party's former leader, stated that the Liberal Democrats did not get this right in the Campanale case.

He said he will push the party to ensure the incident does not happen again to anyone of any protected characteristic, including Christians. Separately, the party was ordered to pay £14,000 in 2025 to former candidate Natalie Bird over her gender-critical views.

In 2024 an anonymous parliamentary researcher raised more than £11,000 to bring an employment tribunal case against an unnamed Liberal Democrat MP; the case was later settled out of court.