Lib Dems: One rule for one, another for Ruwan

When Lord Rennard was accused of making unwanted sexual advances to a number of women in the Liberal Democrats, he demanded and was afforded a sense of natural justice.

But for the Lib Dem chair of the Ethnic Minority Lib Dem group Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera he has been subjected to what can only be described as the limits of injustice by any reasonable assessment.

He was accused of bullying and breaking party rules by going to the local press and thrown out of the party.

After Ruwan blew the whistle he went to the police because he believed there was a case to answer. Shortly afterwards local members complained about Ruwan’s behaviour.

The party’s English region organised the disciplinary hearing. Ruwan asked for evidence against him but it failed to arrive. As a result he refused to attend.

Ruwan has argued it's difficult to defend something you're not told exactly what you have supposed to have said or done.

Now it transpires that Ruwan’s appeal will be the same English region that booted him out, and so far they have still not provided him with the evidence against him.

It beggars belief that a party that so prides itself in justice and fairness is affording none of that to one of its former Black prominent members.

Are the Liberal Democrats really saying there is one rule for the likes of Lord Chris Rennard and another rule if you’re Black?

Let’s hope not, but without the Leader stepping and restoring justice and faith into this process, Black people will feel why would I join a party that behaves in this way?

Simon Woolley

In the interest of fairness to Lord Rennard:

The allegations against him were rejected by the Police, two party inquiries by lawyers (acting as independent investigators) and the independent businesswoman who reviewed the party’s culture and processes concluding that the ‘No Further Action’ decisions should be respected.