Norman Baker

Biography:

Norman Baker was successfully re-elected as MP for Lewes in May 2010 with a majority of 7,647 votes.

Norman Baker MP for Lewes was born in Aberdeen in 1957.

The younger of two brothers, he moved to Hornchurch Essex in 1968 before attending Royal Holloway, University of London, where he secured a degree in German as well as running one of the college bars.

Between university and his election in 1997, Norman held a variety of jobs, Regional Executive Director of Our Price Records, clerk at Hornsey railway station, manager of a wine shop and teacher of English as a Foreign Language.

From 1989 to 1990, Norman worked in the House of Commons as the Lib Dems Environment Campaigner and through 1991 worked as the constituency organiser for the Lib Dem MP for Eastbourne.

He was first elected to his local councils – Lewes District and Beddingham Parish – in 1987, almost ten years to the day before his election to Parliament. His district election unseated the Tory leader. In 1989, he secured a large swing to take the county council division of Telscombe for the first time for the Lib Dems. In 1991, as group leader, he led the Lib Dems to victory in the District Council elections and became the first ever Lib Dem leader of the Council, a post he held from 1991 to his parliamentary victory in 1997.

From 1993 to 1997, he also chaired the Economic Development and Public Transport sub-committees on East Sussex County Council. He also represented the County within the Assembly of European Regions, chairing the Tourism and Rural Affairs Committee.

His 1997 victory in the Parliamentary contest for Lewes was his second attempt at the seat. In 1992 he had secured the highest ever Lib-Dem vote and in 1997 became the first ever Liberal or Lib Dem MP and the first non-Conservative, for Lewes since 1874.
In 1997 he won the Best Newcomer MP award for his contribution to environmental issues. In the same year he became the Animal Welfare spokesman for the Lib Dems.

In 2001 he was named “Inquisitor of the Year” in the Zurich/Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. In February 2002 he won the Channel 4 Opposition MP of the Year Award.

In July 2003 Norman won the RSPCA Lord Erskine Award in recognition of his tireless campaigning in the field of animal welfare. In 2003 he was also promoted to the front bench as the Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary.

In 2005 Norman’s portfolio responsibilities were broadened such that he also became the party spokesperson on food and rural affairs.

In March 2006 Norman stood down from his portfolio to pursue other research interest and was joint runner-up for the 2006 Epolitix Environmental Charity Champion Award with Oliver Letwin for their work trying to establish a Cross Party Consensus on Climate Change.

In July 2007 he returned to the front bench as the Shadow Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

In November 2007 Norman’s first book, about his investigations into the death of Dr David Kelly – “The Strange Death of David Kelly” – was published by Methuen and was runner-up for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year Award.

In December 2007 he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. He is also Chair of the All Party Environment Group, Chair of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Flood Defences and President of the Tibet Society.

In 2010 he was made a junior minister for transport.

Constituency: Lewes

Constituency Address: 23 East Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2LJ

Constituency Tel: 01273 480 281

Date of Birth: 26 July 1957

Email: info@normanbaker.org.uk

Party: Liberal Democrats

Personal Website: www.normanbaker.org.uk