Chris Twells, the ex-LibDem councillor suspended by the party after winning two council seats (both in England), has accused the party’s Leader in Wales, lockdown-dodging Jane Dodds, of covering up homophobia allegations. Chris, who claims to have resigned from the party despite having already been suspended, launched a homophobia complaint against a former policy chair, Gwyn Williams, in 2019 and 2020. Gwyn was expelled three years later, in 2022…

Chris says that four gay men accused Gwyn of a “pattern of homophobic bullying” which was “covered up by Jane Dodds and two former national party chairs”. He claims Gwyn would withhold party funds from gay men and points to Facebook screenshots in which Gwyn claims the party was run by a “cabal of young gay men”, he joked to join this clique “would require a major lifestyle change which my wife would not be too happy about”. On a separate occasion, commenting on Layla Moran’s sexuality, he jibed “a pansexual is a lover of kitchen implements”.

Before co-conspirators rush to adjudicate on Chris’s allegations, it’s worth considering his own motivations. Chris was suspended by the Liberal Democrats within 24 hours of his second election victory, whilst Gwyn’s suspension clearly took longer. He defended his own behaviour to Guido, saying “obviously people move around a lot” adding “you win one election and you’re a hero, you win two and you’re a villain”. He says he had given his “whole life” to the party, and that after 13 years of service to the party, he feels “hard done by”. Guido isn’t quite sure Chris has noble intentions at heart…