The UK’s political parties are out of step with the British public when it comes to their increasingly hostile treatment of candidates who hold religious beliefs, according to a recent poll.
Set against the background of a rise in the likes of canceling and no-platforming of such candidates, the poll questioned 2,000 people about the Liberal Democrats' decision to deselect parliamentary candidate David Campanale, <a href="https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/majority-of-brits-and-lib-dems-oppose-deselection-of-christian-candidate-poll-reveals"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> <em>Premier Christian News</em>.
Campanale claims that his deselection followed a campaign against him by party members and activists who objected to his Christian views on issues such as abortion and euthanasia.
It follows the <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/kate-forbes-has-made-the-catastrophic-mistake-of-admitting-to-being-a-christian/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">much more publicised case of SNP politician Kate Forbes</mark></a> whose repeated bids for the leadership of Scotland's main political party met with sustained opposition and often vitriolic efforts to undermine her position in the party on the basis of her personal Christian beliefs.
The Whitestone Insight poll conducted between 5 and 6 June found that 75 per cent of those expressing a view on the issue opposed the desolation of Campanale, while 25 per cent supported the decision. Among those voting for the Liberal Democrats, though, 57 per cent believed Campanale should not have been deselected, compared to 43 per cent who thought the party made the right decision.
"The findings underscore the public's unease with the perceived marginalisation of Christians in politics and highlight the need for political parties to foster a more inclusive environment for individuals of all faiths and beliefs,” says Andrew Hawkins, Chief Executive of Whitestone Insight.
Campanale, a former award-winning BBC journalist, was chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton and Cheam in December 2021. However, he was deselected last year. 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 <a href="https://citizengo.org/en-gb/pt/13247-reinstate-david-campanale--election-candidate-deselected-for-holding-christian-views"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">petition</mark></a> calling for Campanale's reinstatement and run by <em>CitizenGO</em>, a community of active citizens who utilise online petitions and action alerts as a resource to "defend and promote life, family and liberty", has gathered over 24,456 signatures to date.<br><br>The <em>CitizenGo </em>petition page notes that "during his ordeal, David faced repeated 'hostile' and 'degrading' questions about his faith from members of his local party, including aggressive atheists and LGBT activists".
Lord Alton, a former Liberal Democrat MP and now a crossbench peer, expressed his dismay about the situation on the social-media platform <em>X</em>, stating: "I have signed this petition against appalling treatment that is neither liberal nor democratic and hope others will do so too", adding that the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, "needs to reverse a shocking decision."
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 <a href="https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/14-june/news/uk/deselected-lib-dem-candidate-sues-party-claiming-discrimination-because-of-christian-beliefs"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">told</mark></a> the <em>Church Times</em> that 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".
He added: "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.”
<em>Premier Christian News </em>reports a Liberal Democrat spokesperson stating on the case: “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.”<br><br><em>Photo: SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes during a SNP leadership hustings at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, 11 March 2023. (Photo by Jane Barlow-Pool/Getty Images.)</em>
