Legal dispute
This project aims to raise funds to resolve a claim, or other type of dispute.
PROTECT free speech and democracy
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
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Aim
I aim to win my claim and set a legal precedent that members of organisations who challenge wrongful discrimination are protected.
I am raising funds to pay for legal representation in my case against the Liberal Democrats, after I was allegedly victimised, discriminated against and ultimately expelled for speaking up about breaches of Britain’s anti‑discrimination laws. This case is not only about me; it is about whether powerful organisations can silence members who challenge unlawful discrimination, and whether ordinary people in political parties and associations have real protection under the Equality Act 2010. Equality Act 2010
My name is Josephine Hayes. I am asking for your help to fund legal representation in my dispute with the Liberal Democrats. Every pound raised will go towards my legal costs.
For years, I served the party in senior, elected, voluntary and unpaid roles, including sitting on its governing Federal Board. From that vantage point, I began to see something deeply troubling.
The party has rules that say it will comply with Britain’s anti‑discrimination laws. Yet I saw those laws – and those rules – being misinterpreted and, in my view, broken. Government Equalities Office guide
Members began to come to me personally with painful stories. They told me they had been discriminated against, denied reasonable adjustments for disability, or otherwise mistreated by the party – and then punished again when they tried to raise their concerns. Instead of being listened to, they were silenced, ignored or pushed out. Their distress, and the injustice they described, stayed with me. EHRC guidance
I did what I thought any decent person, and any responsible board member, should do. I raised these concerns internally. I tried to support those who said they were being mistreated. My concerns were brushed aside, my role was marginalised, and I myself became a target. I allege that I was victimised for speaking up, discriminated against and harassed – and ultimately expelled from the party I had worked so hard to serve. Victimisation defined
Adding to the sense of injustice, some of the very people alleged to have breached equality laws were in charge of the party’s disciplinary process. Instead of fixing the problem, it tilted the system further in favour of those with power. The public was told that the political party stood for fairness and equality; what I saw from the inside was very different. Party webpage on diversity
Even after my expulsion, the mistreatment did not stop. There have been slurs on my character, and I have been ostracised by former colleagues and friends. Meanwhile, from everything I can see, the party’s misunderstanding of its legal obligations – and its mistreatment of some of its own members – continues. I know I am not alone in this experience; other cases have emerged where members say they have been discriminated against, or victimised when they tried to defend their rights. Discrimination case
I brought a county court claim for victimisation and other breaches of the Equality Act 2010. The Liberal Democrats asked the court to strike out my claim, as they have done in other cases brought by members or former members. A hearing at the end of this month could determine whether my case – and the serious issues it raises – are ever properly heard in full.
The party has deep pockets, largely funded by members’ subscriptions and donations. It is spending that money freely on lawyers to avoid being held to account. It’s not a level playing field.
If the party succeeds in closing down cases like mine, the message to every party member – and indeed every member of an association across the country – will be clear: if you speak up about discrimination, you can be cast aside and silenced.
That is not what Parliament intended when it passed the Equality Act 2010, which was meant to protect people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation – including in membership organisations and associations. Equality Act section 101
It is especially bitter that the party whose parliamentarians worked so hard to get the Act onto the statute book now stands accused of breaching it.
Although I am a lawyer, I was recently diagnosed with a serious illness, which makes it harder for me to fight this case alone. I don’t feel well enough to carry the full burden of complex litigation by myself. To have a fair chance against a well‑resourced political machine, I need specialist legal representation. That is why I am asking for your help.
This case is about more than my personal story.
It is about whether individual people who join political parties and other associations have any real protection when they challenge discrimination, or whether internal rules and big legal budgets can be used to shut them down. It is about whether our democracy is healthier when whistle‑blowers are punished – or when they are heard.
If you believe that ordinary members should be able to stand up to powerful organisations when equality laws are broken, please consider supporting my case. Any amount you can give will make a difference, and every donation will be spent on legal costs only. Thank you for reading, and thank you for any support you can offer.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th August 2026 at 5:03pm