Lib Dems: Christian influence on the party is ‘over’

The Liberal Democrats have said as a ‘statement of fact’ that the time when the party was ‘shaped by Christian beliefs’ is ‘over,’ as a row over the deselection of a Christian candidate continues.

The apparent admission of the difficulty of Christians standing for the party comes in the wake of the deselection of Christian journalist David Campanale as the party’s candidate for the Sutton and Cheam constituency. He says he was deselected because of his orthodox Christian beliefs – including on abortion and gay marriage.

In his legal claim against the party, Campanale states that his Christian beliefs are protected under the Equality Act. He claims that as soon as he was approved in 2017 as a prospective parliamentary candidate, he was subjected to complaints by party members because of his Christian beliefs; and ‘mocked and abused’ at a meeting with party members.

Luke Taylor, a Liberal Democrat councillor who replaced Campanale as party candidate, said the party of Kennedy and Williams ‘was over’. He went on to win the seat in July’s general election.

The party’s legal defence states: ‘Mr Taylor said words to the effect that the party of past prominent Liberal Democrats with Christian beliefs, such as Shirley Williams and Charles Kennedy, “was over”. That was a statement of fact reflecting the current policy platforms and public political stance of the Liberal Democrats as shaped democratically by the decisions of its membership.’

In 2017, Tim Farron – an evangelical Christian and regular contributor – resigned as party leader saying it was impossible for him to remain leader of the party and be a committed Christian.

Today’s party leader Ed Davey says he is a Christian, but has voted in favour of same-sex marriage, gay rights and access to abortion, though he is believed to be against assisted dying.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams said it may now be ‘impossible’ for Christians to represent the Liberal Democrats.

In June this year Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester, said Campanale’s deselection ‘on the grounds of his beliefs alone is shockingly illiberal. On this basis Gladstone wouldn’t have been allowed to stand in Sutton & Cheam’.