Federal Board

(FB)

The Federal Board (FB) is responsible for co-ordinating and overseeing the implementation of the Party’s strategy and the work of the Federal Party. The Board also has responsibility, at least once per Parliament, for preparing a document outlining the Party’s strategy, to submit for debate and agreement by Conference.

The FB has 16 voting members:

  • the Party President (Chair)
  • the Party Leader
  • the Chairs of the three State Parties
  • the Chairs of each of the Federal Committees including a vice-chair of the Federal Policy Committee
  • a Councillor
  • a Young Liberals representative
  • three members directly elected by Party members.

To get in touch with the Board as a whole, please email: president@libdems.org.uk


Ed Davey in front of a crowd of people holding diamond-shaped Liberal Democrat posters

Party Leader - Ed Davey MP

Ed is a lifelong campaigner for strong public services, a fair economy and a thriving natural environment. He was first elected as MP for Kingston and Surbiton in 1997 and has been Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020.

Ed describes the core values that drive him as compassion, community and fairness. As Leader, he is fighting for a fair deal that puts real power in people’s hands and holds the already powerful to account.

Find out more about Ed here

Party President - Dr. Mark Pack

Mark is the Party's President and an author with books including: 101 Ways To Win An Election and Bad News: what the headlines don’t tell us.

He worked for the Liberal Democrats 2000-2009, including a period as Head of Innovations. In 2015, he wrote with David Howarth a seminal pamphlet on the Party’s strategy: The 20% Strategy: building a core vote for the Liberal Democrats.

Outside the Liberal Democrats, Mark has worked in IT in both the public and private sectors and between 2009 and 2019 was a Communications & Crisis Consultant. He's also been a Visiting Lecturer at City University in the Journalism Department.

To contact Mark or to invite him to a Liberal Democrat event, please see here.

Visit Mark's Twitter account.

Party Vice-President - Amna Ahmad

The Vice-President of the Federal Party is responsible for working with ethnic minority communities.

Amna was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and grew up on a council estate in London where she experienced the foster care system.

She has a track record as a candidate for the Party, including a 2017 Westminster target seat campaign, and was our Shadow Refugee Minister that year. 

Amna is a regular contributor to BBC Asian Network and has appeared in The Guardian, the Evening Standard, ITV News, and the BBC, amongst others.

Professionally, she is a campaigner working in healthcare policy. 

English Party Chair - Alison Rouse

Alison is a Project & Events Manager of over 20 years, working across a variety of sectors including: charities, non-profit organisations and corporate clients.

Having owned her own business since March 2009, her specialities include: change management & communications; helping clients to deal with crises; review and improvement of internal structures or processes; and fundraising.

At home, Alison lives in Nottingham with her two rescue cats.

Scottish Party Convenor - Jenni Lang

Jenni took over as Convener of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in January 2022. Prior to that, she has held a number of party roles as the Scottish representative on Federal Conference Committee for over 12 years and as member and former convener of the Scottish Conference Committee.

Currently, Jenni runs the Corporate Communications and Experiences team for The Glenmorangie Company. She has previously held senior communications roles with People's Postcode Lottery, Scottish Gas, PwC and Fleishman Hillard.

Jenni is also a member of the Scottish Advisory Board of Career Ready, where she chairs the Edinburgh and Midlothian Advisory Board. She is also a board member of North Edinburgh Arts and an advisory board member of Common Purpose Scotland.

Welsh Party President - Tim Sly

Tim joined the Party in Swansea in 1979 and has served as a member of Halton Borough Council, as well as standing as a candidate for Wrexham in both Senedd and Parliamentary elections.

Tim runs a green technology company and has worked in leadership roles across a range of not-for-profit organisations in the UK, USA and Europe.

He is now President of the Welsh party and chairs the Welsh Board.

CR

Elected Member - Callum Robertson

Callum Robertson joined the party in 2016, during the local elections, before getting involved in Peterborough Liberal Democrats. He went on to work in Human Rights and Politics before retraining as a teacher. Currently he works as a Head of Sixth Form for a Multi-Academy Trust in Cambridgeshire having previously taught RE, Law and Politics in London and South Essex.

In the Liberal Democrats he stood for Parliament in 2019 and has previously Chaired the Young Liberals.
Outside of work, he is a regular speaker on education policy, working closely with policymakers, MPs and Peers to help shape the future of education.

Elected Member - Lucy Nethsingha

Lucy has been a Lib Dem Councillor for over 16 years. Starting as a Town Councillor in her home town of Truro, she was then elected to Gloucester City Council in 2004.

Having moved to Cambridge, she was elected to Cambridgeshire County Council in 2009, where she represents the Newnham division. 

Lucy represented the East of England in the European Parliament from 2019-20, where she was Chair of the JURI Committee on Legal Affairs.

Lucy’s professional background is in teaching. She has a Masters degree in Education & Psychology from Cambridge University, and has a specialist interest in the early identification of special educational needs. She is married with three children.

Elected Member - Neil Fawcett

Neil is a leading party campaigner and trainer. He works as a Development Officer for ALDC and as Campaign Manager for the Lib Dems in Oxfordshire.

Neil is a County and Town Councillor in his home town of Abingdon. He has worked in various roles in the Party since his first job as Youth & Student Officer and is proud to be an Honorary Vice-President of the Young Liberals.

Federal Policy Committee Vice-Chair - Jeremy Hargreaves

Jeremy is a freelance consultant and non-executive in public services, with a background in the NHS, local government, education and consulting.

He has been Chair of the Lib Dem European Group (LDEG), a parliamentary candidate, chaired party policy working groups on taxation, public services and wellbeing, and is Vice-Chair of the Party’s Federal Policy Committee (FPC).

Jeremy believes passionately in Britain’s place in Europe; a secure international order; and a fair society.

He is committed to finding ways to communicate Liberal Democrat values in a clear vote-winning message, supported by strong policies, and effective management and implementation of the Party’s strategy.

Federal Conference Committee Chair - Nicholas Da Costa 

Nick is a councillor for Highgate Ward in Haringey, former PPC for Enfield North (2017) and London Assembly candidate for Enfield and Haringey (2016). He was part of Baroness Lynne Featherstone's election team in 2010 and 2015.

Nick grew up in Vienna, and has been in the UK since 1999, and currently works in the healthcare sector in international business, having previously headed the conferencing department for a major scientific charity.

You can get in touch with Nick by emailing: nicholas.dacosta@outlook.com

Visit Nick's Twitter account

Federal Communications & Elections Committee Chair - Baroness Kath Pinnock

Kath is a councillor for Cleckheaton ward on Kirklees Council, having been first elected in 1987 and was also Leader of the Council for six years.

She has been actively involved with ALDC both as Chair and President.

Baroness Pinnock has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014 where she is spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

Outside of her political life, Kath has been a non executive director on the board of Yorkshire Water. She is currently a school governor and Vice-Chair of the University of Huddersfield Council.

 

Federal Finance & Resources Committee Chair - Mike Cox

Mike was born in Bolton, Lancashire and now lives in Christchurch, Dorset.

He was elected Party Registered Treasurer in May 2022. In that role, he chairs the Federal Finances and Resources Committee (FFRC).

Mike, a graduate of Brunel University, is Senior Partner of a firm of Chartered Accountants - a firm which he founded in 1997 and is based in London and Middlesex. Mike is also Finance Director to several small businesses.

Previously a Councillor for eight years on Hillingdon Council, Mike serves as a Councillor for Christchurch Town on Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council and also as a Town Councillor on Christchurch Town Council.

Mike has stood for Parliament in every election since 2002 in Ruislip, Uxbridge and Christchurch.

Federal People & Development Committee Chair - Claire Hudson

Claire joined the Party in early 2001, just in time to be involved in her first General Election. Having been bitten by the campaigning bug she went on to work for David Heath MP, serving as his agent & campaign manager in 2005 and 2010.

She was a District Councillor from 2003-19 and during that time, served on the board of ALDC, including as Chair; and was elected to the Lib Dem LGA group.

Outside of politics Claire works in education governance and volunteers as the Chair of her local Citizens Advice board; as a multi academy trust trustee; and the Chair of Governors of two federated secondary schools. 

Young Liberals Chair - Janey Little

Janey joined the Liberal Democrats in 2019 and serves as the Chair of the Young Liberals, having previously been Policy Officer.

Originally from North Somerset, she is currently studying Politics, Philosophy & Economics at the University of Oxford.

Alongside her work in the Young Liberals, Janey is on the executive of Lib Dem Women.

Principal Local Authority Councillor Representative - Chris White

Chris is leader of St Albans District Council and a County Councillor in Hertfordshire.

He is a member of the Lib Dem Executive at the Local Government Association and a member of ALDC's Management Committee.