Federal Finance and Resources Committee
(FFRC)
The FFRC reports to the Federal Board and is responsible for:
- Planning and administering the budget and finances of the Federal Party for the forthcoming year and in outline for following years;
- Presenting the audited Annual Accounts to Conference;
- Overseeing the administration of the Federal Party including its Chief Executive, headquarters and other staff; and overseeing the role of the Party as an equal opportunities employer and the maintenance of staff grievance and disciplinary procedures; and
- Overseeing the Party’s compliance with external regulatory bodies, including the Electoral Commission and the Information Commissioner and carrying out the responsibilities established in Articles 9.6 and 20.3 of the Constitution in relation to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 and as later amended.
The Committee is chaired by the Board elected Registered Party Treasurer and also includes:
- the Federal Treasurer
- the Party President
- each State Party’s Treasurer
- the Chief Executive
- a staff representative
- a representative of the Parliamentary Office of the Liberal Democrats
- and five further persons separately elected by the Federal Board
Further details about the FFRC are available in the Federal Party Constitution (Article 12).
The members of the Committee are:
Chair and Party Registered Treasurer - 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.
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 a Finance Director to several small businesses.
Previously a Councillor for 8 years on Hillingdon Council Mike serves as a Councillor for Christchurch Town on Bournemouth, Christchurch, and 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 Party Treasurer - Tilly McAuliffe
Tilly was elected Federal Party Treasurer in March 2021. Previously, she was Chair of the Lib Dem Business & Entrepreneurs Network for five years, as well as an active member of the Fundraising Board.
Outside of politics and fundraising, Tilly is an entrepreneur and a publisher. In 1999 she co-founded Think, a content marketing agency which has over 70 staff working across the UK. Tilly is also a non executive director of Welbeck Publishing Group and the PPA, Professional Publishers Association, and is a trustee of the think tank Demos.
English Party Treasurer - Richard Flowers
Richard is a member based in Tower Hamlets, London. He is a Chartered Accountant working for a European skincare and beauty company. He's married to Alex Wilcock and helped Millennium Elephant to write his award-winning diary.
Richard has been treasurer of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, Lib Dem Immigrants, and Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats. He's also been a parliamentary candidate in Macclesfield and a GLA candidate in East London.
Welsh Party Treasurer - Nick Beckett
Scottish Party Treasurer - Mike Gray
Mike was born in Dublin and completed his schooling in Edinburgh - it was an alumnus of that school, Sir David Steel, who inspired him to join the Liberals.
After graduating from Edinburgh University, Mike trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He has stayed in the audit and accountancy profession since then, including 3 years working in Johannesburg, and retires in October 2023.
Mike increased his involvement with the Party considerably from 2007, soon joining his local party executive, where he has been treasurer for over a decade. He has been an agent for multiple candidates at every General Election, Scottish Election and Council Election since 2011, including being agent in the 2017 and 2019 General elections in Edinburgh West.
Mike took over as treasurer for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in March 2023.
Parliamentary Rep - Baroness Lynne Featherstone
Lynne was a minister during the coalition 2010 - 2015 in both the Home Office and DFID. She was first elected to Parliament as MP for Hornsey & Wood Green in 2005. Originator and architect of the same-sex marriage law, Lynne also introduced and spearheaded the Government work on FGM.
She is currently in the Lords and prior to being elected to Parliament, was Leader of the Opposition on Haringey Council 1998-2002, and a councillor there until 2006. Lynne was a member of the London Assembly 2000 - 2005 where she was Chair of Transport in London and a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority.
Staff Rep (elected by Federal party staff) - Vacant
Board Elected Member - Helena Cole
Helena grew up in a Liberal household and delivered her first leaflet at the age of four. She officially joined the party in 1990 when she moved to Portsmouth and someone got around to asking her to join. She has been an active campaigner ever since and in 2000 stood for Parliament in Havant. Since then she has been concentrating on her accountancy career whilst campaigning in her spare time and is now Finance Director in the defence industry.
Board Elected Member - Lucas North
Lucas works in business consulting and has an accountancy background, supporting internal and external audit engagements.
They have been serving as Finance Officer for the Young Liberals since November 2022.
Board Elected Member - Matthew Taylor
Matthew was born in St Albans, where he still lives, and where he has been a member of the local party executive with responsibility for fundraising.
He is a solicitor with more than 20 years’ experience, specialising in project risk management and dispute resolution relating to construction and infrastructure projects.
Board Elected Member - Jim Williams
Jim Williams works as a revenue strategist in the market research and technology industries. He has been a member of the party since 2015. He has previously served on the Federal Policy Committee, was the founder of Your Liberal Britain, and co-authored Vince Cable's leadership manifesto.
Board Elected Member - Tom Bartleet
Tom joined the Liberal Democrats in 2022 to make positive change for the country and is now an active member in his local constituencies of South Suffolk and Colchester. This followed a successful career in insurance of 30 years, including a decade as the CEO and owner of Erskine Murray Insurance Brokers and 20 years at Willis, holding various corporate roles including broking in the London market; CEO positions; and working in New York.
Tom was educated at Haileybury College and the University of Manchester where he graduated in Economics. Married with 3 adult children, he is a keen skier and dog walker. Unusually, he enjoys insurance and is a big fan of technology at home and in the office.
Federal 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.
Mark 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, he has worked in IT in both the public and private sectors and between 2009 and 2019 was a communications and crisis consultant.
To contact Mark or to invite him to a Liberal Democrat event, please see here.
Federal Chief Executive - Mike Dixon
Mike is CEO of the Liberal Democrats. He joined a few days before the General Election in 2019.
He has led charities for ten years, working with young people, substance use, crime and advice. He has led campaigns, research, service design, operational delivery and digital transformations.
Before his work in charities, Mike worked as a special adviser in Government, as a researcher, and briefly in advertising.
He lives in Oxford with his family and two cats.