
The CPF Committee
Peter Smallwood
CPF Vice Chairman
Pete was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the CPF in October 2022. He is a public affairs manager working across an array of industries. In the party, he has been an association, area, and regional officers and currently serves Vice President of the National Convention. Pete is also an elected councillor in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Penny-Anne O'Donnell
CPF Voluntary Director
Penny-Anne was elected as the National Voluntary Director of the CPF in March 2022. She is a Consultant Speech and Language Therapist, who has run an independent clinical practice for over two decades. She provides SEND Cabinet support as a County Councillor for Warwickshire County Council and chairs the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as a District Councillor on Stratford District Council. She also stood as a candidate in the 2019 general election.
John Hayward
CPF Manager
John has provided consistent leadership to the CPF since early 2016. With a background in science, he has “a keen understanding of the Party's grassroots” and “his clear, evidence-based analysis and quiet diplomacy transformed the CPF from a mere talking shop to an indispensable part of the Party's policy development.” John also works with politicians internationally to develop policy-based election platforms, to widen civic participation and to promote best practice in policy-making. He has twice received public awards for his “outstanding record of service and devotion to duty” and for accomplishments that “promote excellence, uphold integrity, and foster creativity.”
The CPF Champions
Ahmereen Reza OBE
Area Leadership Champion
Ahmereen is the principal owner of AR Consultancy, advising charities and small businesses on strategy and business development, and a Non-Executive Director at the Southern Housing Group. She is the co-founder of the charity Developments in Literacy UK, which educates girls in under served areas of Pakistan and provides ESOL courses for British Multi-ethnic minority mothers of under-performing students in the UK. Ahmereen received an OBE in 2020 for her charity and interfaith work. She stood as a candidate in 2017. Ahmereen is a Director for the Conservative Friends of Pakistan and a GLA candidate.
Lance Austen
Online Discussion Groups Champion
Lance is a lecturer in Accounting at Exeter College and an experienced teacher in Business. He worked in Business at executive level before moving on to teach the subject. Lance is a Councillor for Ivybridge in Devon and the Vice Chair of the Audit Committee on South Hams District Council. He is also the chairman of the Ivybridge branch of the Conservative Party, a member of Conservative Friends of Israel, The Conservative Education Society and was an approved candidate on the Parliamentary candidates list prior to the last election.
Neva Sadikoglu-Novaky
Virtual Programmes and Publications Champion
Neva works in the private sector and has worked in policy-making and in think tanks on both sides of the Atlantic from Brussels to Washington DC. She is currently a Fellow at Localis think tank and has been a Fellow at the Washington DC based Center for Strategic and International Studies. She has experience in transforming ideas into policy-proposals. She has drafted policy proposals and legislation as well as supported elected politicians in policy-making. Neva is a Conservative party activist. She was a parliamentary candidate in the 2019 general election and a candidate in the 2019 European Parliament election. She leads the Surrey CPF.
Oliver Hall
Student Champion - South East and South West
Oliver grew up across the South East and Midlands and is currently a Law student at The City Law School in London. He has been a member of the Conservative Party since 2017, and currently serves as the Deputy Chair Membership and Fundraising for his local Conservative branch in North Oxfordshire. He has a keen interest in social mobility and access to education, including having worked with Stonewall and Oxfordshire County Council on their anti-bullying policies.
Clemmie Taylor-Smith
Student Champion - Wales, NI and Scotland
Clemmie is currently studying Philosophy and Politics at the University of Edinburgh. She has been a grassroots activist since she could walk and has continued this commitment through establishing the South-west Surrey Young Conservatives. From this, she has acquired skills in people management as well as coordinating social media accounts. She is currently a podcast manager at the Macmillan forum for interdisciplinary discussion. Her interests include coding, app development and she hopes to launch an app in the coming year. Clemmie is also a member of ‘The Decision Problem’ think tank.

Daniel Grice
Student Champion - East and West Midlands
Daniel was born and raised in the Black Country and is proud to have come from his humble beginnings to be where he is today, despite having severe dyslexia and autism. He has managed to not just complete an undergraduate degree in history and politics but also managed to do a Masters degree specialising in political engagement specifically for disabled people. Daniel hopes to encourage young people to freely express their conservative values, feel pride in doing so regardless of their background, and not just go with the tide of voting for left-wing political politics. Daniel also has an additional ambition to improve disabled representation within politics, a group that deserves to have people representing them and their interest.
Emma Mi
Student Champion - North East, North West and Yorkshire & Humber
Emma is a junior doctor and a clinical fellow at NHS England, where she works on healthcare policy and strategy. She previously studied medicine at the University of Cambridge. She is passionate about healthcare reform, health technology and research. A dedicated Party activist, she is a Vice President of Conservative Young Women.