{{Short description|British politician (born 1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Use British English|date=September 2025}} {{infobox officeholder | birth_name = Rodney Simon Berman | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1969}} | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} | image = Rodney Berman in 2021.jpg | caption = Berman in 2021 | birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland | alma_mater = University of Glasgow (BSc, PhD) | spouse = {{marriage|Nick Speed|2006}} | partner = | party = Liberal Democrat | office1 = Cardiff Councillor for Penylan | term_start1 = 2017 | status1 = incumbent | office2 = Leader of Cardiff Council | term_start2 = 2004 | term_end2 = 2012 | predecessor2 = Russell Goodway | successor2 = Heather Joyce | office3 = Cardiff Councillor for Plasnewydd | term3 = 2004-2012 | module = {{Infobox scientist | embed = yes | fields = Pharmacology, physiology | thesis_title = Modulation of Endothelial Barrier Function | thesis_year = 1994 | thesis_url = https://theses.gla.ac.uk/74834/ | workplaces = University of Wales College of Medicine<br>British Medical Association }} }}
'''Rodney Simon Berman''' OBE is a Liberal Democrat politician, currently a councillor for the Penylan ward of Cardiff. He was formerly a councillor for Plasnewydd ward, and was also leader of Cardiff Council between 2004 and 2012.
==Early life and education== Born and raised in Glasgow,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mosalski |first=Ruth |date=2021-03-28 |title=Senedd election 2021: Who is standing in Cardiff Central? |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/senedd-election-2021-cardiff-central-19559776 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref> Berman attended Woodfarm High School before studying pharmacology at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a BSc and a PhD.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mosalski |first=Ruth |date=2019-11-10 |title=The General Election 2019 candidates standing in Rhondda |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2019-candidates-standing-16951435 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rodney Berman - Vote 2001 Candidates |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/candidates/candidates/4/47701.stm |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> At university, he was involved in student politics<ref name=":1" /> and helped run Glasgow University Liberal Democrats.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}} In 1994, he moved to Wales for a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Wales, College of Medicine, now part of Cardiff University.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2013-03-22 |title=Rodney Berman loses out in bid to become AM |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rodney-berman-loses-out-bid-1909763 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=James |first=David |date=2008-04-08 |title=Berman: You can’t let criticism stop you doing the job |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/berman-you-cant-criticism-stop-2182058 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref>
==Political career== Berman stood for election to Parliament as Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Rhondda and Cardiff South and Penarth in 1997 and 2001, respectively, coming third on each occasion.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rodney Berman: Electoral history and profile |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/person/387/rodney-berman |work=The Guardian |date=14 August 2006 |accessdate=25 August 2006 |location=London}}</ref> His agent for the Rhondda seat was Professor Russell Deacon.
In 2004 Berman became leader of a minority administration on Cardiff Council. In 2006, Berman was the first winner of the Local Politician of the Year award.<ref>{{cite news|date=30 November 2006|title=Hain wins top title for work in Wales and N Ireland|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/hain-wins-top-title-work-2302008|access-date=28 April 2012|website=WalesOnline|language=en}}</ref>
The local elections of 2008 saw the Liberal Democrats increase their representation, winning new seats in the east (Trowbridge), west (Llandaff) and south of the city (Butetown). They were still in a minority on the council so they made a deal to run the Cardiff Council jointly with Plaid Cymru, under Berman's leadership.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cardiff and Conwy coalition deals|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7402847.stm|work=BBC News|date=16 May 2008|access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref>
In the 2012 council elections, the Liberal Democrats lost control of Cardiff Council to Welsh Labour, and Berman also lost his seat after two recounts.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-17954639 | publisher=BBC News | title=Cardiff council's Rodney Berman toppled in cull of leaders | date=4 May 2012}}</ref>
Berman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to local government and the community in Cardiff.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=9 |supp=y }}</ref>
Berman returned to local politics to fight the 2017 Cardiff Council election and succeeded in securing a seat on the council, representing the Penylan Ward.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|title=Cardiff's former council leader Rodney Berman is making a comeback bid|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/cardiffs-former-council-leader-rodney-12349496|website=WalesOnline|date=20 December 2016|access-date=6 July 2024|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=564|title=Councillor details - Councillor Rodney Berman OBE|date=18 October 2020|website=cardiff.moderngov.co.uk}}</ref>
At the 2021 Senedd election, he was the Lib Dem candidate for Cardiff Central,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nation.cymru/news/is-this-hyper-marginal-seat-the-best-hope-for-a-lib-dem-constituency-gain/|title=Is this hyper-marginal seat the best hope for a Lib Dem constituency gain?|last=Pitcher|first=Lowri|date=5 May 2021|website=Nation.Cymru|access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref> coming second to Jenny Rathbone.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Seabrook|first=Alex|date=2021-05-07|title=The full Senedd election 2021 result for Cardiff Central|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/senedd-election-2021-cardiff-central-20516154|access-date=2021-07-19|website=WalesOnline|language=en}}</ref> He also stood on the list vote for the South Wales Central region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardiffld.org.uk/rodney_berman_chosen|title=Rodney Berman selected to fight Cardiff Central for the 2021 Senedd elections|first=Rodney|last=Berman|website=Cardiff Liberal Democrats|access-date=19 July 2021|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913084607/https://www.cardiffld.org.uk/rodney_berman_chosen|url-status=dead}}</ref> He stood for election in the Cardiff East constituency for the 2024 UK general election, coming second with 17.2% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Cardiff East - General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/W07000089 |work=BBC News |access-date=2024-07-06 |language=en-GB}}</ref> He stood in the 2026 Senedd election in the Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf constituency but was not elected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Mark |date=2025-04-05 |title=Welsh Lib Dems announce candidates for key Senedd seats in 2026 |url=https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-lib-dems-announce-candidates-for-key-senedd-seats-in-2026/ |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ali |first1=Rahaf |last2=Mosalski |first2=Ruth |title=Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf election results in full |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/caerdydd-ffynnon-taf-election-results-33887381 |work=Wales Online |date=8 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref>
Berman was campaign manager for former Member of the Senedd and Minister Baroness Jenny Randerson (1948–2025) and saw her as a "terrific mentor" in his political career.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-05 |title=Welsh Lib Dem Baroness Jenny Randerson dies aged 76 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c205v1n30vro |access-date=2026-04-22 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Personal life== In August 2006, Berman entered into a civil partnership with his partner, former ITV News journalist Nick Speed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/partnership-ceremony-berman-partner-2320943|title=Partnership ceremony for Berman and partner|date=2013-03-30|website=WalesOnline}}</ref> He is Jewish.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Waldram |first=Hannah |date=2010-11-10 |title=Councillor suspended following Nazi comments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cardiff/2010/nov/10/cardiff-councillor-suspended-following-nazi-comments-ralph-cook-rodney-berman |access-date=2026-03-25 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
In addition to being a councillor, since 2013, Berman has been working as senior policy executive at the British Medical Association, which involves "providing policy support and advice to doctors".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />
== References == * Balsom, Denis. The Wales Yearbook 2007. Francis Balsom Associates Limited. 2006 {{ISBN|1-901862-65-8}} {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-141000964 "It's just not cricket" - The Western Mail]{{Dead link|date=March 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} * [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/06/12/cardiff-residents-should-get-to-vote-for-a-mayor-91466-23852062/ "‘Cardiff residents should get to vote for a mayor’" - Wales Online] * [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/06/15/directly-elected-mayor-would-have-too-much-power-says-rodney-berman-91466-23877091/ "Directly-elected mayor would have too much power, says Rodney Berman" - Wales Online] * [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/10/24/cardiff-council-hits-back-at-rubbish-collection-complaints-91466-22106867/ "Cardiff council hits back at rubbish collection complaints" - Wales Online] * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/4455932.stm "Concern over city school shake-up" - BBC News] * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1155007.stm "Cardiff 'behind' in culture city race" - BBC News] * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4869984.stm "Council to reveal school closures" - BBC News]
{{Politics and Government in Cardiff}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berman, Rodney}} Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow Category:Councillors in Cardiff Category:Scottish gay politicians Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) parliamentary candidates Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Politicians from Glasgow Category:Welsh LGBTQ politicians Category:Leaders of local authorities of Wales Category:21st-century Welsh LGBTQ people Category:Jewish British politicians Category:21st-century Scottish Jews Category:Welsh Jews