Mike German, Baron German

The Lord German
The Right Honourable; The Lord German; OBE
1st Deputy First Minister of Wales
	In office; 13 June 2002 – 8 May 2003
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Jenny Randerson (Acting)
Succeeded by	Ieuan Wyn Jones (2007)
	In office; 16 October 2000 – 6 July 2001
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Jenny Randerson (Acting)
Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
	In office; 13 October 2007 – 8 December 2008
Leader	Menzies Campbell ; Sir Vince Cable ; Nick Clegg
Preceded by	Lembit Opik
Succeeded by	Kirsty Williams
Member of the Welsh Assembly; for South Wales East
	In office; 6 May 1999 – 30 June 2010
Preceded by	New Assembly
Succeeded by	Veronica German
Member of the House of Lords; Lord Temporal
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 29 June 2010; Life Peerage
Personal details
Born	8 May 1945; Cardiff, Wales
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Spouse(s)	(1) Georgette German[1]; (2) Veronica German
Alma mater	Open University

Michael James German, Baron German, OBE (born 8 May 1945) is a British politician, serving currently as a member of the House of Lords and formerly as a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the South Wales East region. He was leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2008. In 1996, he was awarded an OBE for his public and political service.

Biography

German was educated at the Open University and St Mary's College. In his early life he was a member of 28th Cardiff Sea Scout Group.

He trained and worked as a music teacher before becoming Head of the European Unit at the Welsh Joint Education Committee. Has also been a school governor.

Political career

His political career spans over three decades. He was elected as councillor on Cardiff City Council (Cathays ward) in 1983, together with his wife, Georgette German (Plasnewydd).[1] He was Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats on the City Council between 1983–1996 and joint leader of the Council from 1987 to 1991; he was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007.

In the 1996 New Year's Honours he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[2]

He contested Cardiff North in October 1974 and 1979 for the Liberals, before fighting Cardiff Central in 1983 and 1987 for the SDP–Liberal Alliance, but was unsuccessful on each occasion.

Under a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition he became Deputy First Minister 2000-01 (and Economic Development Secretary)[3] and again in 2002-03 (and Minister for Rural Affairs and Wales Abroad). He stepped down from the role of Deputy First Minister between the two dates to answer allegations made about his role at the Welsh examination board, the WJEC. During this period he was temporarily replaced by Jenny Randerson as Acting Deputy First Minister.

In November 2007, Mike German became leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, after Lembit Opik stood down to ensure that the leadership of the party was in the National Assembly and not Westminster. He was succeeded in 2008 by Kirsty Williams.

German's political interests include skills development in small and large companies in Wales, constitutional affairs, local government, economy and regeneration.

In May 2010, German was named to the House of Lords as a 'working peer' in the Dissolution Honours list.[4] He was succeeded to the Assembly in June 2010 by his wife, Veronica, a Torfaen councillor, as she was the next candidate on the regional party list in 2007.[5][6] German took his seat as Baron German, of Llanfrechfa in the County Borough of Torfaen.[7]

References

Michael Thomas (6 May 1983). "Cardiff could go 'private'". South Wales Echo. p. 6.
"No. 54255". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1995. p. 11.
"Welsh Lib-Dems join assembly cabinet". news.bbc.co.uk. 16 October 2000.
"Dissolution list". BBC News. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
"Mike German made working peer in House of Lords". BBC Wales. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
"Ex-Gwent AM becomes a lord". South Wales Argus. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
"No. 59474". The London Gazette. 29 June 2010. p. 12259.

External links

Michael German AM website
Michael German AM official biography at the National Assembly for Wales website
Welsh Liberal Democrats website
Official biography at House of Lords

Offices held

Senedd Cymru
Preceded by (new post)	Assembly Member for South Wales East 1999 – 2010	Succeeded by Veronica German
Political offices
Preceded by (new post)	Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the National Assembly 1999 – 2008	Succeeded by Kirsty Williams
Preceded by Lembit Opik	Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats 2007 – 2008	Succeeded by Kirsty Williams
Preceded by (new post)	Deputy First Minister for Wales 2000 – 2001	Succeeded by Jenny Randerson (Acting)
Preceded by Rhodri Morgan	Minister for Economic Development 2000 – 2001	Succeeded by Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by Jenny Randerson (Acting)	Deputy First Minister for Wales 2002 – 2003	Succeeded by Office Vacant (2003–2007) Ieuan Wyn Jones (2007–2011)
Preceded by (new post)	Minister for Rural Affairs and Wales Abroad 2002 – 2003	Succeeded by (post abolished)
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Lord Gardiner of Kimble	Gentlemen Baron German	Followed by The Lord Hutton of Furness

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[SWEcouldgoprivate-1] Michael Thomas (6 May 1983). "Cardiff could go 'private'". South Wales Echo. p. 6.

[2] "No. 54255". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1995. p. 11.

[3] "Welsh Lib-Dems join assembly cabinet". news.bbc.co.uk. 16 October 2000.

[4] "Dissolution list". BBC News. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

[5] "Mike German made working peer in House of Lords". BBC Wales. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

[6] "Ex-Gwent AM becomes a lord". South Wales Argus. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.

[7] "No. 59474". The London Gazette. 29 June 2010. p. 12259.