Rodney Berman Announced as Lead Senedd Candidate for Caerdydd Ffynon Taf

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have announced that Cllr Rodney Berman will head their party’s list for the Caerdydd Ffynon Taf constituency at the 2026 Senedd election following a ballot of party members in the constituency.

Caerdydd Ffynon Taf is one of the party’s top targets in the 2026 Welsh Parliament elections, covering the Westminster constituencies of Cardiff East and Cardiff North.

The Liberal Democrats finished second to Labour in Cardiff East in the 2024 General Election, with a swing of 11.8% away from Labour to the Liberal Democrats - one of the few constituencies in the entire UK to do so, despite it being the seat of Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats also used to hold the seat of Cardiff Central (now covered by this new seat) at both a Westminster and Senedd level.

Rodney Berman is a Cardiff Councillor in Penylan and served as Leader of Cardiff Council for eight years between 2004 and 2012, during which he oversaw a massive increase in the recycling rate and the money given to schools. He is proud to have been awarded an OBE for his services to local government and the community in Cardiff in 2013. He currently leads the Liberal Democrat Group on Cardiff Council.

Rodney has lived in Cardiff for most of his life after taking up a research role at the university in the early 90s.

Currently working in health policy, Rodney represented the interests of doctors during Covid-19, and currently helps them influence Welsh health policy and fight for improved terms and conditions of service. He is passionate about reducing health inequalities.

Commenting on his selection as the lead candidate for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Cllr Rodney Berman said:

“Labour are completely failing Cardiff, whether that is at the Council, Senedd or UK Government level. People are increasingly telling us as a result how let down they feel at every level.

“'We are already seeing firsthand how their increase to national insurance is costing our city jobs, not least at Cardiff University. People are also fed up with the difficulty they face securing a GP appointment or finding an NHS dentist across Cardiff, and seeing the council make all the wrong spending priorities, focusing efforts on pet projects whilst the city’s schools are starved of cash.”

At the candidate announcement event, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

“In this election the Welsh Lib Dems will be the antidote to both years of failure under Labour and the Conservatives, and to the Trumpian delusions of populists and nationalists. Our candidates will be relentlessly focused on improving people’s lives and everyday issues such as fixing the Welsh NHS and growing the Welsh economy.”

ENDS