{{Short description|Liberal Democrat Politician}} {{Multiple issues| {{Notability|bio|date=February 2026}} {{Primary sources|date=October 2025}} }} {{Infobox officeholder | office = Liverpool City Councillor for Church | term_start = 3 May 2023 | country = England | party = Liberal Democrats | alma_mater = University of Liverpool | website = [https://www.carlcashman.org/ www.carlcashman.org] | nickname = | predecessor = Richard Kemp | birth_date = October 1991 | citizenship = United Kingdom<br />France | image = Carl Cashman at Young Liberals conference 2025 01.jpg | caption = Cashman at Young Liberals Summer Conference in 2025 }}
'''Carl Cashman''' is an English-French<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robledo |first=Jordan |date=2025-03-20 |title=Drag superstar Tiara Skye talks politics with the 'UK's sexiest politician' Carl Cashman |url=https://www.gaytimes.com/culture/drag-superstar-tiara-skye-talks-politics-with-the-uks-sexiest-politician-carl-cashman/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Gay Times |language=en-US}}</ref> politician who has served as the councillor for Church ward on the Liverpool City Council since 2023, he also serves as the leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrats, the second largest party group on the city council, making him Leader of the Opposition on the Liverpool City Council.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-16 |title=Councillor details - Councillor Carl Cashman |url=https://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=32834 |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=councillors.liverpool.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tougher action on Illegal E-Bikes, say Lib Dem Leader |url=https://www.liverlibdems.org.uk/news/article/tougher-action-on-illegal-e-bikes-say-lib-dem-leader |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=www.liverlibdems.org.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref>
He previously served as a councillor on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and has previously attempted to run for Mayor of the Liverpool City Region in 2017, and Member of Parliament for Knowsley in 2015 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election result for Knowsley (Constituency) - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/3562/election/369 |access-date=2026-04-10 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Election result for Knowsley (Constituency) - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/3562/election/377 |access-date=2026-04-10 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>
== Early life == Cashman is from the Liverpool City Region. Born to an English-French mother, Cashman holds French citizenship from his mother alongside his British Citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robledo |first=Jordan |date=2025-03-20 |title=Drag superstar Tiara Skye talks politics with the 'UK's sexiest politician' Carl Cashman |url=https://www.gaytimes.com/culture/drag-superstar-tiara-skye-talks-politics-with-the-uks-sexiest-politician-carl-cashman/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Gay Times |language=en-US}}</ref> He attended the University of Liverpool, reading joint honours in Philosophy and Politics<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philosophy and Politics BA (Hons) {{!}} Courses {{!}} University of Liverpool |url=https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/philosophy-and-politics-ba-hons |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=www.liverpool.ac.uk}}</ref> where he was briefly taught by Professor Stuart Wilks-Heeg,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Stuart Wilks-Heeg {{!}} Our people {{!}} University of Liverpool |url=https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/stuart-wilks-heeg |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=www.liverpool.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Stuart Wilks-Heeg |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GKOGK2IAAAAJ&hl=en |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=scholar.google.com}}</ref> author of ''Local Government from Thatcher to Blair: The Politics of Creative Autonomy''.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Atkinson |first1=Hugh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zh7gGTknH60C |title=Local Government from Thatcher to Blair: The Politics of Creative Autonomy |last2=Wilks-Heeg |first2=Stuart |date=2000-12-22 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-7456-2204-0 |language=en}}</ref>
== Career == Cashman was first elected as a councillor in 2016, for Prescot North in Prescot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Local Elections Archive Project - 2016 - Knowsley |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2016/43/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=www.andrewteale.me.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Local Elections Archive Project — Prescot North Ward |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/17948/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=www.andrewteale.me.uk}}</ref> He became councillor for the Church ward in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Local Elections Archive Project - 2023 - Liverpool |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2023/44/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=www.andrewteale.me.uk}}</ref> The ward includes areas of Mossley Hill, Wavertree, and Childwall, notably including Liverpool Blue Coat School, Picton Clock Tower, Wavertree Lock-up, King David High School, and Penny Lane.
Since local councillors are unpaid, Cashman works as a mortgage broker.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NewRegister |url=https://register.fca.org.uk/s/individual?id=0034G00002iqpCDQAY |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=register.fca.org.uk}}</ref>
=== Local party leadership === Cashman was formerly the leader of the Knowsley Liberal Democrats. He is the current leader of the Liverpool branch of the party,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thorp |first=Liam |date=2023-05-10 |title=31-year-old becomes new Liverpool Lib Dem opposition leader |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/31-year-old-becomes-new-26882570 |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Liverpool Echo |language=en}}</ref> a position he has held since 2023. He replaced former leader Richard Kemp after an 11-year stint as local party leader.
=== Mayoral candidacy === Cashman ran against Steve Rotheram in the 2017 Liverpool City Region mayoral election. He lost to Rotheram, receiving 19,751 votes, 6.8% of the total.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Pugh welcomes Lib Dem nomination for Metro Mayor |url=http://www.champnews.com/newsdetail.aspx?ID=GN4_ART_353947 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114005550/http://www.champnews.com/newsdetail.aspx?ID=GN4_ART_353947 |archive-date=2016-11-14 |access-date=2025-10-16 |language=en}}</ref> Cashman stood with policies including the foundation of a representative office for Liverpool in Brussels, support for E.U. membership, protecting green space, and removing tolls for Liverpool's tunnels.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}
== Media attention == Cashman received media attention for his appearance, and was dubbed 'Britain's sexiest politician'.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8upvpRsWYo |title=Is this Britain's sexiest politician? {{!}} Pubcast with Lib Dem Councillor Carl Cashman |date=2023-08-16 |last=PoliticsJOE |access-date=2025-10-16 |via=YouTube}}</ref> He was the subject of an American right-wing Twitter discussion garnering millions of views, wrongly calling him 'Conservative Chad'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brocklehurst |first=Harrison |date=2025-09-26 |title=I'm Carl Cashman: The sexy Scouse politician the U.S. far right are calling a 'Conservative Chad' |url=https://thetab.com/2025/09/26/im-carl-cashman-the-sexy-scouse-politician-the-u-s-far-right-are-calling-a-conservative-chad |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=The Tab |language=en-US}}</ref> Cashman responded in an interview with ''The Tab'', saying:
{{blockquote|If it strengthens the liberal cause, and puts the lens on my city and its incredibly good looking population, then I'll take that. As for calling me a normie Conservative Chad, I couldn't be further from that. I'm what he would call a lefty liberal, his worst nightmare!}}
Cashman is popular in the LGBTQ community for his defence of gay rights.{{According to whom|date=October 2025}} He was interviewed on his personal life and politics by drag queen Tiara Skye in Soho.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robledo |first=Jordan |date=2025-03-20 |title=Drag superstar Tiara Skye talks politics with the 'UK's sexiest politician' Carl Cashman |url=https://www.gaytimes.com/culture/drag-superstar-tiara-skye-talks-politics-with-the-uks-sexiest-politician-carl-cashman/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Gay Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors in Liverpool Category:21st-century English politicians