Expelled Alliance Party member claims he was discriminated against due to his age and his emphasis on strong pro-abortion and transgender rights

Geoffrey Wilson also claimed he was wrongly denied the chance to take a case at a Fair Employment Tribunal. Judgment was reserved in his attempt to have that decision overturned.

Mr Wilson, a 52-year-old legal consultant from the Dunmurry area of Belfast, was a member of Alliance for nine years. He claims to have been suspended and then expelled in December 2021 over events at a meeting to select candidates for the Lagan Valley constituency.

The steps were taken because of a “controversial question” put to an Alliance councillor, he has alleged.

In 2022 Mr Wilson was denied permission to seek a judicial review of his removal from the cross-community party. But in a separate move he attempted to have a case heard by the Fair Employment Tribunal sitting in Belfast.

Mr Wilson said that between 2017 and 2021 he repeatedly failed to secure approval to stand as an Alliance candidate in local council, Assembly and Westminster elections. He alleged discrimination because of his age and his emphasis on strong pro-abortion and transgender rights.

The tribunal refused jurisdiction, however, on the grounds that he was never an employee of the party.

Representing himself at the appeal against that decision, Mr Wilson told senior judges his case centred on a clause contained in the Windsor Framework.

He argued that Article 2 of the treaty means European Union discrimination laws and other legislation must remain in force in Northern Ireland post-Brexit, allowing him to take a case to the tribunal.

“I’m also entitled to rely on the equal treatment in employment and occupation directive,” he added.

Counsel representing the tribunal insisted, however, that the decision to refuse jurisdiction was legally correct. A decision on the appeal is expected to be given later this month.