Jenny Randerson, Baroness Randerson

The Right Honourable The Baroness Randerson
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Wales Office
In office 5 September 2012 – May 2015 [1]
Preceded by	David Jones
Succeeded by	Nick Bourne
Deputy First Minister for Wales Acting
In office 6 July 2001 – 13 June 2002
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Michael German
Succeeded by	Michael German
Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language
In office 16 February 2000 – 30 April 2003
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	New post
Succeeded by	Alun Pugh
Member of the Welsh Assembly for Cardiff Central
In office 6 May 1999 – 5 May 2011
Preceded by	New Assembly
Succeeded by	Jenny Rathbone
Majority	6,565 (29.3%)
Personal details
Born	26 May 1948
Political party	Welsh Liberal Democrats
Spouse(s)	Peter Randerson
Residence	Cardiff, Wales, UK
Alma mater	Bedford College, London

Jennifer Elizabeth Randerson, Baroness Randerson (born 26 May 1948) is a Welsh Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.^[2] She is former junior minister in the Wales Office, with specific responsibility for education.

She is a former Cardiff councillor and was an AM from 1999 to 2011, when she was created a life peer. She was a member of the Welsh Labour-Lib Dem administration of the 2000–2003 Welsh Assembly Government.^[3]

Background

Randerson was educated at Bedford College, University of London, BSc Physiology and Biochemistry, 1983, now part of Royal Holloway, University of London.^[4] She was a Cardiff councillor 1983-2000 and was a lecturer at Cardiff Tertiary College. She led the official opposition on the Council in Cardiff for four years. She introduced "Creative Future", a culture strategy for Wales and "Iaith Pawb", a strategy for the promulgation of the Welsh language.^[5]

National Assembly for Wales

She was Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language in the Liberal Democrat/Labour Partnership Government from 2000 to 2003. She was acting Welsh Deputy First Minister from 6 July 2001 to 13 June 2002. She was Health and Social Services; Equal Opportunities and Finance Spokeswoman for the Welsh Liberal Democrats during the Second Assembly. She chaired Assembly Business and Standing Orders Committees during the Second Assembly.

Jenny stood for the leadership of the Welsh Liberal Democrats in 2008 but was defeated by Kirsty Williams who gained 60% to Jenny's 40% of the all member ballot. In the third Assembly Jenny Randerson was the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Education, Transport and the Economy. She did not seek re-election at the 2011 Assembly elections, with Nigel Howells - her Liberal Democrat successor, being narrowly defeated by Jenny Rathbone.

House of Lords

On 27 January 2011, she was created a life peer as Baroness Randerson, of Roath Park in the City of Cardiff^[6] and was introduced in the House of Lords on 31 January 2011,^[7] and sits on the Liberal Democrat benches. On 4 September 2012, she was appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Wales Office.^[8]

Baroness Randerson is the first female Welsh Liberal Democrat to hold ministerial office at Westminster and the first Welsh Liberal to hold a ministerial post since Gwilym Lloyd-George in 1945. She is also the first female non Labour Welsh politician to hold a government post at Westminster.

References

1. http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/baroness-randerson/4230
2. Notice of life peerage for Jenny Randerson, number10.gov.uk; accessed 20 March 2014.
3. Profile, BBC.co.uk; accessed 20 March 2014.
4. Royal Holloway College, Higher Magazine No.17, autumn 2012, accessed 24 November 2012
5. Jenny Randerson official website; accessed 20 March 2014.
6. The London Gazette: no. 59687. p. 1657. 1 February 2011.
7. House of Lords Business, Monday 31 January 2011; accessed 20 March 2014.
8. "Wales Office: Lib Dem Baroness Randerson made minister". BBC News. 5 September 2012.

External links

• Jenny Randerson AM official biography at the Welsh Assembly website
• Jenny Randerson AM profile at the site of Welsh Liberal Democrats

Offices held