Following the resignation of Gordon Mackay as LI secretary general, William Townsend – LI’s head of communication and political outreach – has been appointed acting secretary general by the bureau of Liberal International. 

William, who joined the London-based secretariat in 2013, has served under three presidents and two secretary generals. After the appointment was confirmed, William said: “I am honoured to have been asked to step into this role. Our bureau, membership, and secretariat is the most visible and hard-working of any political international in the world and I will work collaboratively with all of our partners to keep LI on this trajectory until a new secretary general is elected. I am grateful to the bureau and my party, the UK Liberal Democrats, for their support. ”

William has worked closely with the LI membership over 7 years and delivered high-level political events on every continent in which LI has a member party. “This may not be the easiest moment to step up but I am confident; we have the right team with clear priorities in the secretariat and dedicated political leadership in the bureau under LI President Hakima el Haité”, he added.

William concluded: “Having worked closely with Gordon and the LI leadership over the past 2.5 years on the strategy to ramp up and deliver a dramatic change in LI’s political output and member services, I would like to congratulate and thank Gordon for all he has achieved and wish him well in his new post and future endeavours.”