4th November, 2022

Dear Mark

Cc: Ed Davey, Dick Newby, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Jane Dodds, Mike Dixon

We, Liberal Democrat members and former members, are writing to you as Party President and Chair of Federal Board to ask that, in light of legal advice confirming that the party’s Definition of Transphobia cannot lawfully be imposed on Party members, the Definition be revoked, or at the very least amended. 

As Karon Monaghan KC has advised, any Definition of Transphobia adopted by the party must make clear that gender critical views are legally protected and party members who express them should not face disciplinary action, or be subjected to any form of direct or indirect discrimination, for that reason. We ask that you take steps to make this clear to party members. We also recommend that ongoing disciplinary cases, recent decisions and other current practices such as moderation of debates and decisions around Lib Dem Conference are reviewed to ensure they are fully compliant with the law in this area.

We also note that the purpose of the Lib Dem Federal Board is to provide governance to and support the effectiveness of a Liberal party. As such, it should count among its objects the facilitation and enablement of free and open debate, not its suppression. With this in mind we also call on you to commission an independent review into conditions for gender critical party members that considers how such an unlawful restriction on speech came into being in the first place.

Yours sincerely

Liberal Voice for Women 

Baroness Ludford, Lib Dem Lords Europe Spokeswoman

Baroness Thornhill, Lib Dem Lords Whip

Lord Clement-Jones, Lambeth Liberal Democrats 

Baroness Janke, Bristol West Liberal Democrats 

Lord Oates, Kingston Borough Liberal Democrats

Zoe Hollowood, Chair, Liberal Voice for Women, East of England English Council Rep

Rt Hon Norman Baker,- former MP, member, Lewes Liberal Democrats

Chris Davies, former MP/ MEP; member, Oldham Liberal Democrats

Martin Eggleston, member, OxWab Liberal Democrats

Gary Wilson, member, Liverpool Liberal Democrats

Rachel Barker, member, Sheffield Liberal Democrats

Cllr Alison Jenner, OxWab Liberal Democrats

Cllr Iris Walker, Aberdeenshire West Liberal Democrats

Judith Bailey, member, Southend Liberal Democrats

Emma Louise Talbot, member, Tendring Liberal Democrats

David Stevens, member, Edinburgh North and Leith Liberal Democrats

Barbara Lindsay, member, Cheadle Liberal Democrats

Claire Loneragan, member, Yeovil Liberal Democrats

Richard Kirker, member, Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrats

Dr Jacci Stoyle, member, Inverclyde Liberal Democrats

Nigel Scott, member, Haringey Liberal Democrats

Juliet Line, member, St Ives Liberal Democrats

Mariana Yarnold, Angus and Mearns Liberal Democrats

Wendy Horton, member, Shrewsbury and Atcham Liberal Democrats

Liz Trayhorn, member, Hounslow Liberal Democrats

Elizabeth Wood, former member, Wiltshire Liberal Democrats

Katherine Howells, member, Bath and North East Somerset Liberal Democrats

Victoria Lax, member, Cheltenham Liberal Democrats

Edith Pender-Hiom, member, Liberal Democrats

Pandora Smith, former member, Liberal Democrats

Susan Mimnagh, former member, Liberal Democrats 

M Hunter, member, Liberal Democrats

Liz Quelch, Registered Supporter Liberal Democrats

Margaret Ray, member, Liberal Democrats

Rachel Amos, former member Liberal Democrats

Jeremy Wright, member, West Dorset Liberal Democrats

Amanda Craig, former member  Cantelowes ward Liberal Democrats

Simon Edge, former member, Suffolk South Liberal Democrats

Marina Pepper, former member  North Norfolk Liberal Democrats

David Podger, Executive Committee member, East Hants Liberal Democrats

Catherine Russell, Data Officer, Bexhill and Battle Liberal Democrats

Dr. Adam Spencer, member, Nottingham Liberal Democrats

Cllr Alison Eden, member, Newton Abbot Liberal Democrats

Jo Christie-Smith, former member, Bromley Liberal Democrats

Cllr Caroline Page, Leader, Suffolk County Council Lib Dem group, E. Suffolk Liberal Democrats 

Kirsti Wenn, member, Harpenden Liberal Democrats

Kevin White, member, Liverpool Liberal Democrats

Fiona Kirton, Registered Supporter, Wells Liberal Democrats

Jonathan Coulter, member, Bromley Liberal Democrats

Deborah Simon, member, South Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats

Katherine Reeve, former Executive Committee member, St Albans Liberal Democrats

Anna Telford, member, Farnham Liberal Democrats

Maurice Leslie, member, Warrington Liberal Democrats

Susan Sutcliffe, member, Morley/Wakefield Liberal Democrats

Sally Wright, former member, St Albans Liberal Democrats

Peter Blackaller, member, St Albans Liberal Democrats

Penelope Young, Executive Committee member, St Ives Liberal Democrats

David Grace, member, Cambridge Liberal Democrats

David Barnsdale, English Council Representative for London, member, Kingston Borough 

Vivienne Timmins, member,  St Albans Liberal Democrats

Dr Richard Hopkins, member, Wrexham and Clwyd South Liberal Democrats

Deborah Harris, former member, Lewes Liberal Democrats

Cllr Andrew MacGregor, member, Newton Abbot Liberal Democrats

Patrick Gillard, Town Councillor, East Suffolk Liberal Democrats

Val Spencer, member, Southend Liberal Democrats

Dr. Nick Winstone-Cooper, Data Officer, St. Ives Liberal Democrats

Michael Maguire, former member, St Albans Liberal Democrats

Anne Woods, Secretary, LGB Liberal Forum; Diversity Officer, Brecon & Radnorshire Lib Demsl 

Cllr Richard Ormerod, member, Durham Liberal Democrats

Jane Vaus, member, Lambeth Liberal Democrats

Dr Suzanne Fairless-Aitken, County Councillor, Northumberland Liberal Democrats

Sabir Jones, member, North Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats

Pippa Higgins, Vice Chair, Southend Liberal Democrats

Cllr Tony Paterson, member, Richmond Liberal Democrats

Cllr. Andy Graham, Leader of Lib Dem Group, Witney Liberal Democrats

Aimee McDonald, Volunteer with my local party, Southend Liberal Democrats  

Susan Evans, member, Liverpool Liberal Democrats

Joyce Onstad, Federal Board member, Southend Liberal Democrats 

Cllr Patrick Coleman, District and Town Cllr, Cotswold

Mohammed Amin, member, Manchester Liberal Democrats

Karen Hoyles, former member, Honiton Liberal Democrats

Cllr Pat Marsh, Leader of LibDems on Harrogate Boro Council; Harrogate & Knaresborough 

Gary Bridge, member, Darlington Liberal Democrats

Charlotte Revely, member, Yeovil Liberal Democrats

Jackie Porter, Chairman of Executive, Winchester Liberal Democrats

Susannah Perry, Vice chair of executive, City of London and Westminster Liberal Democrats

Julie Hindmarch, Volunteer with my local party, Winchester Liberal Democrats

Miranda Pinch, member, Winchester Liberal Democrats

Julie Mountain, Volunteer with my local party, Winchester Liberal Democrats

Roushanara Khatun, member, North Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats

Jules Hoyles, member, Tiverton & Honiton Liberal Democrats

Una-Jane Winfield, Registered Supporter, Chelsea and Fulham Liberal Democrats

Caroline Piper, Registered Supporter Islington Liberal Democrats

Michael Russell, member, Bexhill & Battle Liberal Democrats

Pauline Carruther, former member, North East Edinburgh and Leith Liberal Democrats

Henrietta Bewley,  Executive member, Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats

Alexandra Tatton-Brown, Executive member, Kensington and Chelsea Liberal Democrats

Teresa Martin Little, member, Dunfermline Liberal Democrats

J Abella-Zachary, former member, Hounslow Liberal Democrats

Anna McCracken,former member,  Liverpool Liberal Democrats

Lauren Winter, previous Candidates Manager at LD HQ; Chichester Liberal Democrats

Evelyn Strasburger, former member, Bath Liberal Democrats

Cllr Gavin Barrass, member, Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats

Kate Kilgallon, former member, Burnley Liberal Democrats

Hanneke Wilson, member, Oxford West & Abingdon Liberal Democrats

John Stuart Lamb, member, North Cornwall Liberal Democrats

Jon Irwin, member, Wandsworth Liberal Democrats

Heather Heiner, former member, Greenwich and Woolwich Liberal Democrats   

Maggie Dear,former member,  Wells, Somerset Liberal Democrats  

Dave Munday, member, St Ives Liberal Democrats  

Siân Davies, former member, Southbourne Liberal Democrats 

Anthony David Lee, member, Liverpool Liberal Democrats

Toby Keynes, member,  English Council; Brighton & Hove Liberal Democrats

Mary Painter,  former member, Woking Liberal Democrats

Charles Boney, member, South East Cornwall Liberal Democrats

Victoria Lygo,  Registered Supporter, Liberal Democrats   

Cllr Richard Blackman, Southampton Liberal Democrats

Meher Oliaji, Executive member, Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats

Cllr Graham Simpkins, member, Westmorland & FurnessLiberal Democrats  

Jane Mactaggart, former member, membership sec for over 10 years, OxWAb  Lib Dems  

Jonathan Smith, former member, North Shropshire Liberal Democrats    

Tony Hutson, member,   Edinburgh North and Leith Liberal Democrats

Catherine Remy, member   Hammersmith & Fulham Liberal Democrats

Lisa Proctor, former member Liberal Democrats

Philip Lister, member,  Oxford East Liberal Democrats

John Payne, member,  Epsom & Ewell Liberal Democrats

Liz Gurevitch, member, Grimsby & Cleethorpes Liberal Democrats 

Cllr Helen Ladhams, member, Westmorland and Lonsdale Liberal Democrats

Ben Eaton, member, Telford & Wrekin Liberal Democrats

Denis Mollison, Member of Scottish LD Policy Committee, East Lothian Liberal Democrats

Cllr Luke Rogers, St Ives Liberal Democrats 

Emwood, Registered Supporter, North Wiltshire Liberal Democrats

Paul Wheatley, Chair (replying in personal capacity)  Banbury Liberal Democrats

Guy Lavis, former member, Mid Beds Liberal Democrats

Isobel Platings, member, Ealing Liberal Democrats

Denise Robertson, member, Wokingham Borough Liberal Democrats   

Edmund Jankowski, member,  St Albans Liberal Democrats

Billy Boulton, Member, East of England Executive, Treasurer, Southend Liberal Democrats