
PACTS is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Baroness Jenny Randerson, a pioneering Welsh Liberal Democrat politician. Her exceptional career in public service leaves an enduring legacy in Welsh and UK politics.
Representing the Liberal Democrats in the Welsh Assembly (now the Senedd) from 1999 to 2011, she served in the Welsh Labour–Lib Dem administration (2000–2003) and became the first female Liberal Democrat minister to serve anywhere in the UK. She was also acting Deputy First Minister from July 2001 to June 2002. She championed cultural and linguistic initiatives, including promoting the Welsh language and securing free entry to Wales’s national museums.
After stepping down from the Assembly in 2011, she was appointed a life peer. In the House of Lords, Baroness Randerson served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales in the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government. From 2015 onwards, she became a dedicated and effective Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Transport. In this role, she was actively involved in at least ten transport-related APPGs, including the APPG for Transport Safety, which is supported by PACTS as its secretariat. Baroness Randerson was also a regular speaker at PACTS events, most recently delivering the 2023 Westminster Lecture on Transport Safety.
PACTS extends its condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.