Party members must not be discriminated against for upholding the reality of biological sex because their views are deemed “offensive”, the Federal Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats has warned.
In an email seen by The Daily Telegraph, Mike Dixon told local associations and party bodies that in light of recent legal judgments, “you need to treat members with protected gender-critical beliefs in the same way as any other member”.
Earlier this year, the Lib Dems were ordered to pay Natalie Bird £14,000, after she was banned from standing as a party parliamentary candidate over accusations of ‘transphobia’. The party also lifted restrictions on its internal gender-critical group, which had been banned from exhibiting at conferences for the last four years.
‘Sad indictment’
Dixon urged members to be “polite and constructive” when responding to sensitive issues, warning: “There is real danger of political parties continuing to be taken to court about these issues unless we get the response right. We would all prefer to spend money on campaigning and winning seats than defending legal cases.”
An apology is due for the delay and for the apparent tolerance of secular bigotry
In response, the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum (LDCF) stated: “It is a sad indictment of the democratic health of the Liberal Democrats that party HQ has to remind activists to be Liberal.”
LCDF highlighted the case of former BBC journalist David Campanale, who is suing the party after he was deselected as a parliamentary candidate for intending to vote according to his Christian convictions on non-whipped votes such as pro-life issues.
“Our hope now is that the party would end the run of expensive court cases by admitting it has got this one wrong. An apology is due to David for the delay and for the apparent tolerance of secular bigotry.”
‘God needs no defence’
In papers leaked last year, the Lib Dem party defended its decision to deselect Mr Campanale by stating that his “expressed religious beliefs against abortion, gay marriage and legal sex change conflicted with the fundamental values set out” in the party’s governing document.
The party also demanded that Mr Campanale legally prove that “Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life”, claiming that the statement submitted as part of his religious beliefs is “outside the defendant’s knowledge”.
But the award-winning ex-journalist told The Independent: “God needs no defence. He is after all the Judge. It’s whether the Liberal Democrats continue to be seen as out of touch in the dock of public opinion with the liberalism and tolerance of the British people.”
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