# Veronica German

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Veronica_German
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Veronica_German.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_German
> Source revision: 1356288996
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

British politician (born 1957)

The Right Honourable The Lady German German in 2010 Member of the Welsh Assembly for South Wales East In office 1 July 2010 – 31 March 2011[1] Preceded by Mike German Succeeded by Lindsay Whittle Member of Newport City Council In office 2004–2008 Member of Torfaen Borough Council In office 2008–2012 Personal details Born (1957-02-12) 12 February 1957 (age 69) Party Welsh Liberal Democrats Spouse Mike German, Baron German Children 3 Portfolio Health, Local Government and Equalities

**Veronica Kathleen German, Baroness German** (*née* **Watkins**; born 12 February 1957) is a [Welsh Liberal Democrat](/source/Welsh_Liberal_Democrats) politician who was a [Member of the Welsh Assembly](/source/Member_of_the_Welsh_Assembly) (AM) for the [South Wales East region](/source/South_Wales_East_(Senedd_electoral_region)) between 2010 and 2011.

## Background

German has lived in the [Newport](/source/Newport%2C_Wales) and [Cwmbran](/source/Cwmbran) area for nearly 30 years. She graduated at [Aston University](/source/Aston_University) where she studied [Chemical Engineering](/source/Chemical_Engineering), as well as achieving a Masters in [Biochemical Engineering](/source/Biochemical_Engineering) at the [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham).[2] While a third year student as part of her [sandwich degree](/source/Sandwich_degree) course, she was assigned to the pilot plant at Cadburys Bournville when they were developing the production of bubbles into the [Cadbury](/source/Cadbury) [Wispa](/source/Wispa) chocolate bar where she worked under her head of Dept. Dave Green.[3][4]

She was a teacher for 25 years, where she taught Science, Maths and ICT in many schools across the former [Gwent LEA](/source/Local_education_authority) area.

German has three children by her previous marriage, all born and brought up in Newport and educated locally at schools in [Caerleon](/source/Caerleon).

## Political career

German served as a Newport Liberal Democrat councillor between 2004 and 2008. In May 2008, she was elected as a [Torfaen](/source/Torfaen) councillor representing [Llanyrafon](/source/Llanyrafon) North.

In May 2010, the then Assembly Member for South Wales East, [Mike German](/source/Mike_German), her husband, was named to the [House of Lords](/source/House_of_Lords) as a 'working peer' in the [Dissolution Honours](/source/Dissolution_Honours) list.[5] She succeeded him as an AM, as she was the next candidate on the regional party list in 2007.[6][7]

German took up her seat as Assembly Member for South Wales East in July 2010, making her the first new member of the Assembly since 2007. Immediately after taking up her new position, German pledged to continue to campaign for the tolls at [Severn Bridge](/source/Severn_Bridge) to be reduced. Whist an Assembly Member, she was the Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, Local Government and Equalities, as well as a member of the Petitions Committee; the Equal Opportunities Committee; the Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee; and Legislation Committee No. 3.

She failed to retain her list seat in the [2011 Assembly election](/source/2011_National_Assembly_for_Wales_election). In the [2012 elections](/source/2012_Torfaen_County_Borough_Council_election), she did not recontest her Llanyrafon North Council seat.[8] She contested the [Monmouth Assembly constituency](/source/Monmouth_(Senedd_constituency)) during the [2016 election](/source/2016_National_Assembly_for_Wales_election) and the same seat in the [2017 general election](/source/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election), being unsuccessful on both occasions.

For the [2021 Senedd election](/source/2021_Senedd_election), German was selected as the Lib Dem candidate for the [Torfaen constituency](/source/Torfaen_(Senedd_constituency)).[9] She finished fourth behind the Labour, Conservative and Plaid Cymru candidates.[10]

## See also

- [List of Welsh AMs/MSs with the shortest service](/source/List_of_Welsh_AMs%2FMSs_with_the_shortest_service)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Member Profile"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180324040855/http://www.assembly.wales/en/memhome/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?mid=149&RPID=1011141654). *senedd.wales*. Archived from [the original](http://www.assembly.wales/en/memhome/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?mid=149&RPID=1011141654) on 24 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Torfaen councillor takes up seat as AM"](http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/8250574.Torfaen_councillor_takes_up_seat_as_AM/). *South Wales Argus*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Welsh Lib Dem Conference: Friday night rally, and the wit and wisdom of Wales' Lib Dem women"](https://www.libdemvoice.org/welsh-lib-dem-conference-friday-night-rally-and-the-wit-and-wisdom-of-wales-lib-dem-women-49322.html). *www.libdemvoice.org*. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Welcome veronicagerman.org.uk - BlueHost.com"](http://www.veronicagerman.org.uk/about/). *www.veronicagerman.org.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Dissolution list"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10187659). BBC News. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Mike German made working peer in House of Lords"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10187031). BBC Wales. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Ex-Gwent AM becomes a lord"](http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/gwentnews/8247449.Ex_Gwent_AM_becomes_a_lord/). South Wales Argus. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Local Elections Archive Project - Llanyrafon North Ward — Torfaen"](https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/11465//). *Andrew Teale*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Test, Veronica (7 February 2021). ["Veronica German selected for Lib Dems in Torfaen"](https://www.monmouth-torfaenlibdems.org.uk/vg_for_torfaen). Monmouth & Torfaen Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 19 September 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Mosalski, Ruth; Burkitt, Sian (7 May 2021). ["Senedd election 2021 result for Torfaen: Labour hold seat"](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/senedd-election-2021-result-torfaen-20531745). *WalesOnline*. Retrieved 19 September 2021.

## External links

- [Veronica German AM homepage](http://www.veronicagerman.org.uk/)

- [Website of the Welsh Assembly Government](https://web.archive.org/web/20100521151120/http://www.assemblywales.org/memhome/mem-profile/mem-south_wales_east-4.htm)

## Offices held

Senedd Preceded by Mike German Assembly Member for South Wales East 2010 - 2011 Succeeded by Lindsay Whittle (Plaid) Political offices New post Spokesperson for Health, Local Government and Equalities 2010 - 2011 Unknown

v t e Members of the National Assembly for Wales 2007–2011 3rd Assembly Labour (26) Leighton Andrews Lorraine Barrett Rosemary Butler Christine Chapman Jeffrey Cuthbert Jane Davidson Alun Davies Andrew Davies Brian Gibbons Janice Gregory John Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Edwina Hart Jane Hutt Irene James Carwyn Jones † (leader from Dec 2009) Ann Jones Huw Lewis Valerie Lloyd Sandy Mewies Rhodri Morgan † (leader until Dec 2009) Lynne Neagle Carl Sargeant Karen Sinclair Gwenda Thomas Joyce Watson Plaid Cymru (15-14) Mohammad Asghar (until Dec 2009) Jocelyn Davies Nerys Evans Chris Franks Bethan Jenkins Alun Ffred Jones Elin Jones Gareth Jones Ieuan Wyn Jones † Helen Mary Jones David Lloyd Janet Ryder (Dafydd Elis-Thomas) Rhodri Glyn Thomas Leanne Wood Conservatives (12-13) Mohammad Asghar (from Dec 2009) Nick Bourne † Angela Burns Andrew RT Davies Paul Davies William Graham Mark Isherwood David Melding Darren Millar Jonathan Morgan Nick Ramsay Brynle Williams (died Apr 2011) Liberal Democrats (5-6) Mick Bates (until Dec 2010) Peter Black Eleanor Burnham Mike German † (leader until Oct 2008/AM until Jun 2010) Veronica German (from Jul 2010) Jenny Randerson Kirsty Williams † (leader from Dec 2008) Independent (1-2) Mick Bates (from Dec 2010) Trish Law Presiding Officer: Dafydd Elis-Thomas † = Party leaders

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Veronica German](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_German) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_German?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.