It's been announced that Baroness Jennifer Randerson has died aged 76
Jane Dodds MS, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said:
“I am deeply saddened by the news of Jenny Randerson’s passing. Jenny dedicated her life to serving the people of Cardiff and Wales. From free entry to Wales’s national museums to the decision to build Wales Millennium Centre, her work as a minister left an indelible mark on our politics and society.”
“She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the many individuals whose lives she touched through her public service.”
After earning a BA in History from Bedford College, University of London, and a PGCE from the Institute of Education, Jenny embarked on a career in education. She started as a secondary school teacher and later became a lecturer at Coleg Glan Hafren in Cardiff. From 1983 to 2000, she served as a Cardiff councillor, significantly contributing to the growth of the Welsh Liberal Democrat party in the capital and leading the council's official opposition for four years. During this period, she also served as a Justice of the Peace on the Cardiff Bench from 1982 to 1999.
In 1999, Jenny made history by becoming the first Assembly Member for Cardiff Central in the newly formed National Assembly for Wales. She broke new ground as the first female Liberal Democrat minister in the UK, serving as Minister for Culture, Sport, and the Welsh Language from 2000 to 2003, and acting Deputy First Minister from July 2001 to June 2002. She played a pivotal role in launching "Creative Future," a cultural strategy for Wales, and "Iaith Pawb," a strategy to promote the Welsh language.
After stepping down from the Assembly in 2011, Jenny was appointed a life peer as Baroness Randerson of Roath Park on January 27, 2011. In the House of Lords, she continued her dedication to public service, notably as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales from September 2012 to May 2015. She was the first female Welsh Liberal Democrat to hold a ministerial office at Westminster and the first Welsh Liberal to hold a UK ministerial post since Gwilym Lloyd-George in 1945.
Beyond her political career, Baroness Randerson remained deeply committed to education and the Welsh community. She served as Chancellor of Cardiff University from 2019 and was a patron of several charities, including Wales Council for Deaf People, the Cardiff and Vale Youth Wind Band, and the African Mothers' Foundation.
Baroness Randerson is survived by her husband, Peter Randerson, two adult children, and three grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her friends and colleagues, both within the Welsh Liberal Democrats and across the political spectrum.
Image credit: Welsh Liberal Democrats
