Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said “it is impossible” for a Christian to “represent” the Liberal Democrats, after the party published its defence for removing Christian candidate David Campanale.
Capanale, an Anglican, was not selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton & Cheam despite winning his local selection, as the party deemed his personal views on abortion to be at odds with its stance.
A case for an alleged breach of the Equality Act 2010 was put to a judge in Liverpool on Thursday 12 September, as Liberal Democrat members prepared to meet in Brighton for their annual party conference.
The Liberal Democrats claimed a "right to deselect" Campanale, as his religious views differed from "the fundamental values set out in the Preamble to the Constitution of the Federal Liberal Democrats as passed by the Conference of the Federal Liberal Democrats and/or the Liberal Democrats' agreed and stated policy positions on those issues."
Former Archbishop Rowan Williams published his reaction in the Telegraph: “The problem that David Campanale's case brings into focus is this: Is it now impossible for someone who holds certain moral views to be a candidate for a particular political party even if they are committed to abiding by their party's discipline and the results of democratic debate, not campaigning against the party's position?"
"The Liberal Democrat Party's response to Campanale's legal challenge has been to say that reservations about - for example - abortion or same-sex marriage are in conflict with 'fundamental values' held by the Party ('values' not policies, notice; a significant leap in the argument).
“It is not enough to preserve one's private conscientious judgement, it seems; total agreement in private and in public is demanded."
Capanale won the local party vote to be Sutton’s candidate when he was Vice-Chair of Ed Davey’s constituency.
Previously, he served as a local Lib Dem councillor, and was a candidate in the 2019 General Election, where he trebled the Liberal Democrat vote share in Kwasi Kwarteng's constituency of Spelthorne.
However, when Rishi Sunak announced the 2024 election, Luke Taylor was selected to be the party’s candidate instead of Campanale. Taylor came third in the section contest which Campanale had originally won. Taylor now sits as the Member of Parliament for Sutton & Cheam.
Rev Dr. Williams concluded: "If the Lib Dems insist on the conformity that their argument implies, they are within their rights, no doubt. But clarity is needed, given that this is not what has previously been said by the party leadership."