| English Young Liberals | |
| President: | Louise Harris |
| Chairperson: | Joe Norris |
| Vice-Chairperson: | Rebecca Proctor (Elections and Campaigns) Caitlin Richardson (Membership Engagement) |
| Ideology: | Liberalism (British) Community politics[1] Internationalism[2] |
| Headquarters: | 1 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PN |
| Mother Party: | English Liberal Democrats |
| Regional2 Type: | UK |
| Regional2 Name: | Young Liberals |
| International: | International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (IFLRY) |
| Regional1 Type: | European |
| Regional1 Name: | European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) |
| Website: | Official website |
English Young Liberals is the youth and student wing of the English Liberal Democrats.
English Young Liberals has branches across England including various English universities, and seeks to promote the work and campaigning of Young Liberals as well as the English and Federal party. The wing works to encourage and support young candidates across England, and works with Federal Young Liberals. and the main party to do this.[3]
The English Young Liberals operates as a federation of regional parties, with each having a level of independence, though working within the overall English wing. Regional branches, led by their Chair, are responsible for organising and supporting local branches and societies and co-ordinating activities to recruit and expand membership in their region[4]
The English Young Liberals Executive is made up of a directly-elected Chair, two Vice Chairs (each with distinct portfolios), a Policy and Regional Engagement Officer and an Events Representative, all of whom represent the organisation in various capacities on committees of the Federal Young Liberals. In addition the Executive contains a representative (Regional Chair) of each Region of England (on the same geographic basis as the Regional Parties of the Liberal Democrats). The current Executive was elected in October 2023 and took office on 1 January 2024, for a one year long term.
| Role | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Joe Norris | |
| Vice Chair (Elections and Campaigns) | Rebecca Proctor | |
| Vice Chair (Membership Engagement) | Caitlin Richardson | |
| Policy and Regional Engagement Officer | James Bliss | |
| Events Committee Representative | vacant | |
| Regional Chairs | Devon & Cornwall | Todd Olive |
| East Midlands | Josh Nightingale | |
| East of England | Tom Jordan | |
| London | Josh Lucas Mitte | |
| North East | Thom Campion | |
| North West | Tom Sutton | |
| South Central | Nathan Eve | |
| South East | Tom Nevill | |
| West Midlands | Tim Macy | |
| Western Counties | Zeb Mackintosh | |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | George Sykes | |
The English Young Liberals also elects six members to send to the English Liberal Democrats English Council, which is the sovereign body of the English Party, in addition to the Chair who attends in their own right.
| Name | Term in Office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Young Liberals Chair | James Green &Joe Norris | 26 November 2022 - | Full term begins on 1 January 2023. Job Share. |
| Oliver Jones-Lyons | 1 November 2021 – 26 November 2022 | Resigned on 26 November, replaced by Incoming Chairs James Green & Joe Norris. | |
| Fergus Ustianowski | 15 October 2021 – 1 November 2021 | Acting Chair until result of election. | |
| William Tench | 1 November 2020 - 15 October 2021 | Resigned on 15 October 2021. | |
| Jack Worrall | 1 January 2019 - 31 October 2020 | Second term ended on 31 October 2020 due to becoming Federal Young Liberals Chair. | |
| Ems Simpson | 1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018 | ||
| Erin Yarrow | 13th March - 31 December 2017 | ||
| Liberal Youth English Chair | Declan Stones | September 2016 - 13 March 2017 | Elected in by-election, organisation became Young Liberals in November 2016 |
| Sophie Thornton | 1 January 2015 - June 2016 | ||
| Conor McKenzie | 1 January 2015 - 31 December 2015 | From 1 January 2015 onwards, term dates followed calendar year and role was renamed to Chair. | |
| Liberal Youth English Convenor | Stuart Wheatcroft | 2013 - 2014 | |
| Conor McKenzie | 2012 - 2013 | ||
| Vacant | 2011 - 2012 | ||
| Harry Mathews | 2010 - 2011 | ||
| Thomas Hemsley | 2009 - 2010 |
Like the English Liberal Democrats, EYL is composed of eleven regional branches. These branches have their own Chairs, who sit on the EYL Executive, and are able to independently coordinate events and campaigning across their respective regions. Each region has its own executive committee.
In August 2023, the governance arrangements for Regional branches of English Young Liberals were simplified and standardised.
Each regional executive is now composed of the Regional Chair (who is directly elected by members within the region), a Campaigns Officer and a Membership Engagement Officer (both co-opted) alongside representatives of accredited local branches and university societies within the region. Further positions beyond these core requirements on regional executives can be created at the discretion of Regional Chairs.