The Federal Policy Committee is responsible for researching and developing policy and overseeing the Federal Party’s policy-making process. This includes producing policy papers for debate at conference, and drawing up (in consultation with the parliamentary party) the Federal election manifestos for Westminster and European elections.
Members are expected to take part in policy working groups (which draw up policy papers, preceded by consultation papers) at some point during their terms of office, and to contribute fully to the policy-making process, including in engaging with party groups and on occasion external experts.
The Leader of the Party is the Chair of the Committee. FPC has three Vice Chairs, including one Parliamentarian and two other members of the committee. The Vice Chairs chair the FPC in the absence of the Leader, and play an active role in ensuring policy development and the effective running of the committee.
The Membership of the Federal Policy Committee is as follows:
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.
Helen was first elected as the Member of Parliament for North Shropshire in a high-profile by-election in 2019. She was appointed the Liberal Democrats' Spokesperson for Health and Social Care in September 2024.
Prior to becoming an MP, Helen was a Parish Councillor, and held senior positions at Centrica and KPMG before moving to work for a family firm close to her home in North Shropshire. She trained as a chartered accountant after reading History at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Helen spends the little spare time she has looking after her cats and exploring the nearby countryside with her family.
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.
Mohsin is a hospital doctor working in Forensic Psychiatry. He has had previous experience in the Department of Health, the House of Commons, and at a major health think tank. He is a school governor.
Within the Lib Dems, Mohsin has been on FPC for over half a decade and has also been a former Chair of Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality as well as a former chair of a Regional Policy Committee. He has been involved with English Council, been a Council candidate, and is a former local party Vice-Chair. Over the years he has sat on numerous Policy Working Groups, including Chairing and Vice-Chairing groups in health, mental health and social care. He is passionate about improving public services.
Abrial is an undergraduate student in biology and chemistry, bringing a strong evidence-based approach to policy making.
He is the Campaigns Officer for the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Racial Equality, and has previously served as Policy Chair for the North East Liberal Democrats and as a Vice Chair of the Green Liberal Democrats.
Abrial enjoys campaigning and talking to people about the issues that matter to them and has spoken to thousands of voters on the doorstep. On the Federal Policy Committee, he focuses on bringing those conversations into policy making that is specific, relevant, and directly answers the questions members and voters are asking, to ensure the Liberal Democrats remain a truly national party with something to offer everyone.
An independent environmental policy analyst and Associate Fellow at Chatham House, Duncan was a special adviser to Chris Huhne at the Department of Energy & Climate Change during the coalition government. He edits the quarterly Journal of Liberal History and co-edited Reinventing the State: Social Liberalism for the 21st Century (2007) and The Green Book: New Directions for Liberals in Government (2013).
He was Chair of the Federal Conference Committee 2003-10 and Vice-Chair of the Federal Policy Committee 2012-19.
Martin is President of the Green Liberal Democrats and was MP for Cheltenham 2005-2015 and MEP for the South West of England & Gibraltar 2019-2020. He's now a Councillor and cabinet member on Lib Dem-led Cheltenham Borough Council.
With a professional background in business and charity marketing, Martin was Director of Fundraising at the Alzheimer's Society; the Director of Engagement & Impact at Bristol-based international NGO Development Initiatives; and a consultant for a number of national charities.
As an MP, he served as an environment and then international affairs spokesperson for the Party; originated the Local Green Space policy that was implemented by the coalition and which has now been used 6,000 times by local authorities across the UK; and led front bench opposition to Tory Brexiteers before 2015.
As an MEP, Martin was Vice President of the liberal Renew Europe group and served on the Parliament's International Development Committee.
Nick has been Chief Executive of the European Movement (UK) since 2023, and is the former Lib Dem MP for North Devon (1992-2015). He also served as the only Liberal / Lib Dem Defence Minister since World War 2, in the Coalition. He was Chief Executive of the party during Vince Cable’s leadership (2017-19), and Chair of Campaigns & Communications under Paddy Ashdown (1994-99).
He served as Principal Lib Dem spokesperson in Parliament at various times on: Defence, Culture Media & Sport, Health, Constitution, Trade & Industry and Transport. He served on the party’s Federal Executive / Board for 11 years.
Since Parliament he has worked in overseas development (for the UK, EU and UN), as a company director and charity trustee, and is a former Chair of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.
Rebecca is a young professional in London who alongside her work in parliament for Martin Wrigley MP is a local campaigner in Islington where she is standing for election in the upcoming local election for the ward of St Mary's and St James.
She has previously been the policy officer, non-portfolio officer and accessibility, diversity and inclusion officer of the Young Liberals, as well as various roles in Lib Dem Women, LGBT+ Lib Dems and the Islington Lib Dems. She has also stood for the party in 5 separate elections from the GLA, parliament and local councils.
Her key interests are equalities issues, transport, rural services, constitutional reform and youth issues.
Simon joined the Liberal Party at University in 1976 because of its opposition to apartheid and support for gay rights and civil liberties.
Since then he has had a number of roles including being Chair of the Association of Liberal Trade Unionists, Parliamentary and Council candidate and local party officer.
Simon is a strong believer in “4 cornered Liberalism “ – Political, Social, Personal and Economic, and is on the Board of Liberal Reform.
Dr Zoe Hollowood is a PhD scientist who has worked in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector for 20 years and currently works for a medical charity.
Zoe is part of the Food & Farming Policy Group within the Liberal Democrats.
Alex was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for North East Hampshire at the 2024 General Election.
In her experience running a local children’s charity, and previously a women’s refuge, Alex has seen the devastating impact the under-funding of our services has had.
Alex also has 15 years’ business experience in the UK and overseas. This has given her an understanding of what matters to both people and businesses.
Chris was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Dorking and Horley at the 2024 General Election.
Chris spent a decade working in finance, in New York for Deloitte and a hedge fund in London, before pursuing a career in public service. He joined the Foreign Office’s counter-terrorism department, founded the international development charity Grow Movement, and served as an officer in the army reserve. In 2020 Chris was called up by the army and embedded as a military advisor with Iraqi forces fighting ISIS.
Joshua was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Maidenhead at the 2024 General Election.
He graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University with a first-class degree in Business and Management Studies. On returning home to Maidenhead, he successfully managed a chain of supermarkets before taking the decision to devote himself full time to public service.
Joshua was elected to Windsor and Maidenhead Council in 2019. In 2023, Joshua became the council's cabinet member for communities and leisure, serving in this role until his election as an MP.
Mark is an author with books including: 101 Ways To Win An Election and Bad News: what the headlines don’t tell us. In February 2025, Mark joined the House of Lords as a Life Peer.
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 & Crisis Consultant. He's also been a Visiting Lecturer at City University in the Journalism Department.
Cllr Juned has worked with universities, local government and business on plant genetic resources; sustainable development; urban and rural policy; resource management; renewable energy; energy efficiency; and research dissemination.
Susan was a county councillor for twelve years. During her twenty-five years as a district councillor, she has served as a Council Leader and is currently an opposition Group Leader. Susan has contributed to many Policy Working Groups and the Green Book.
After studying German with European Institutions at Edinburgh University, David worked at HM Treasury, followed by a successful career in international publishing. Running commercial operations from Hong Kong and China for ten years for the Economist Group's Asia Pacific wing, his team were awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2002.
A co-founder of the Kaleidoscope Trust, David has always even passionate about international LGBT+ rights and today is a Trustee and former Chair of the charity Sunrise Diversity, and sits on the Board of TicBox Productions. He also served as a Governor of Petroc College for 7 years.
Joining the Lib Dems in 2015, David was elected and served as a parish councilor for 7 years in Northern Devon, as well as Mayor of Northam during the pandemic and Chair of Devon Association of Local Councils. He sat on Devon & Cornwall’s Regional Executive as its Diversity Champion for 5 years. David stood as PPC for Torridge & West Devon in the 2017 and 2019 General Elections, securing second place; he was also a candidate on the Southwest List for the 2019 European Elections.
From 2017, David was Chair of Lib Dem European Group, standing down after 5 years following re-election to FIRC for a second term and subsequently election as its Chair in January 2023. In May 2023, he successfully led his first Lib Dem delegation to ALDE Congress in Stockholm and then the Liberal International Executive Committee meeting in Ottawa. David has been ALDE Rainbow Ambassador since 2022.
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
Humaira is the LDCRE Policy Officer. Previously she was a member of the WPG for Immigration, Asylum and Identity, and for The 21st Century Economy. Humaira has been Chair of my local branch of Ealing in London for 3 years, and have been a member of the branch Exec for over 10 years, during which time she was Policy Officer for the branch and helped to put together the local manifesto.
Humaira is a Chartered Accountant and worked as a Fund Manager for over 10 years.
Baroness Smith of Newnham was made a Liberal Democrat Life Peer in 2014. She first got involved in politics at the age of 12, campaigning for Shirley Williams at the historic Crosby by-election. Julie went on to become a City Councillor for Newnham ward in Cambridge (2003-15) and held Executive Councillor responsibilities.
An academic specialising in European politics and the history of the European Union, Dr Smith taught at the Central European University in Budapest, before becoming a lecturer at the University of Cambridge. She also headed the European Programme at Chatham House, 1999-2003.
She has served on various policy working groups for the Party, including those on Liberal Democracy, Better Governance, Defence and Europe. She has also served on the Council of the European Liberal party, ELDR.
Peter has been a Councillor since 2003 and is former leader of South Lakeland District Council and deputy leader of Cumbria County Council. Both of these councils are now incorporated into Westmorland and Furness Council, where he is cabinet member for Highways & Assets.
Peter has a particular interest in housing, believing that good quality social/council housing is an essential component in a sensible housing market.
In his spare time, Peter enjoys being with his family, and his hobby of motorcycling.
The Federal Policy Committee met online at the beginning of February, with a full agenda covering forthcoming policy work, consultation papers and sub-committee appointments.
After a policy development-heavy first meeting, the new Federal Policy Committee’s second meeting focused on understanding the party’s key political priorities for winning over the voters we need, and the role our policies play in that.
Federal Policy Committee met for the first time following the committee elections.