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Chancellor

Baroness Randerson in library
Baroness Randerson

Baroness Jenny Randerson was educated at Bedford College, University of London (BA Hons History).

She was a teacher at Sydenham High School, Spalding High School and Llanishen High School between 1970 -76 and a lecturer at Coleg Glan Hafren Further Education College from 1976-1999.

She was a Cardiff councillor between 1983-2000 and led the official opposition on the Council in Cardiff for four years.

Between 1999 and 2011 she served as an AM in the National Assembly for Wales representing Cardiff Central constituency. She was Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language in the Liberal Democrat/Labour Partnership Government from 2000 to 2003. She introduced "Creative Future", a culture strategy for Wales and "Iaith Pawb", a strategy for the promulgation of the Welsh language. She was acting Welsh Deputy First Minister from 6 July 2001 to 13 June 2002.

In the Second Assembly, she was Health and Social Services; Equal Opportunities and Finance Spokesperson for the Welsh Liberal Democrats. She chaired the Assembly Business and Standing Orders Committees during the Second Assembly. In the Third Assembly, Jenny was the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Education, Transport and the Economy. She did not seek re-election at the 2011 Assembly elections.

On 27 January 2011, Jenny was created a life peer as Baroness Randerson, of Roath Park in the City of Cardiff and sits on the Liberal Democrat benches. Between September 2012 and May 2015, she served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Wales Office. She was Lords Government Spokesperson (Northern Ireland Office) November 2012 – May 2015 and Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Wales) between June and September 2015. Since September 2015, she has been Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Transport.

Baroness Randerson is patron of various charities including Wales Council for Deaf People, the Cardiff and Vale Youth Wind Band and the African Mothers' Foundation. Between 2011-2012 and 2015-2017 she was a Governor of Cardiff Metropolitan University. She is an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University (2011) and was a member of the Advisory Board, Wales Governance Centre between 2011 and 2012.