A new poll has found that a majority of those questioned don't approve of the Liberal Democrats' decision to deselect Christian parliamentary candidate David Campanale.
The Whitestone Insight poll of 2001 people between 5 and 6 June, found that 75 per cent of those expressing a view opposed Campanale's deselection, while only 25 per cent supported the decision. Among those voting Lib Dem, 57 per cent believed Campanale should not have been deselected, compared to 43 per cent who thought the party made the right decision.
Campanale, a former award-winning BBC and Premier journalist, was chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton and Cheam in December 2021. However, he was deselected last year after what he claims was a campaign against him by party members and activists who objected to his Biblical views on issues such as abortion and euthanasia.
He's now suing the Liberal Democrats, marking the first time a UK political party has faced legal action for allegedly discriminating against someone based on their Christian faith.
A petition on CitizenGO calling for Campanale's reinstatement has gathered over 24,185 signatures to date. Several prominent Christian leaders have also shown support for Campanale including the Bishop of Winchester, Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen and the Bishop of Guildford, Rt Rev Andrew Watson. Bishop Watson told the Church Times he was "concerned that we don’t inadvertently drift into a society which discriminates against very able and compassionate people on the basis of their sincerely-held Christian convictions...The decision to deselect David, together with the hostile questioning to which he’s been subjected, seems to me a case in point. Much the same happened to Kate Forbes and the SNP, which makes me feel that it could be the beginning of a trend, which needs calling out.”
Chief Executive of Whitestone Insight, Andrew Hawkins, said:
"The findings underscore the public's unease with the perceived marginalization of Christians in politics and highlight the need for political parties to foster a more inclusive environment for individuals of all faiths and beliefs."
A Lib Dem spokesman said: “The Liberal Democrat leader and all of our London MPs are churchgoing Christians, and this complex case about David Campanale which began during Covid, resulted in him being deselected and the local party overwhelmingly voting for a new candidate.”