28 Facts About Norman Baker

Norman John Baker was born on 26 July 1957 and is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was the Member of Parliament for Lewes in East Sussex from the 1997 general election until his defeat in 2015.

Norman Baker resigned from his role at the Home Office on 3 November 2014.

Norman Baker was born in Aberdeen, but his family moved to Hornchurch in east London in 1968.

Norman Baker joined the Liberal Party in 1981 while living in Islington and in his memoir he described himself as a 'sleeping' party member save for one canvassing session in six years.

Norman Baker became the Leader of Lewes District Council in 1991, a position he held until his election as an MP in 1997.

Outside of politics Norman Baker was a regional director for Our Price Records for five years from 1978.

Norman Baker worked at Malling Street Service Station, Lewes, from 1983 to 1985.

Norman Baker contested Lewes at the 1992 general election, but the sitting Conservative Party MP Tim Rathbone retained the seat.

Norman Baker stood again at the 1997 election, and this time gained the seat with a majority of 1,300 votes over Rathbone, becoming Lewes's first non-Conservative MP since 1874.

Norman Baker prided himself on "uncovering scandals and conflicts of interest among MPs and the government".

Norman Baker raised issues about Lord Birt and his role as Tony Blair's adviser.

Norman Baker is regarded as coming from the left-wing of the party, and until losing his seat was a member of the Beveridge Group within the Liberal Democrats.

Norman Baker returned to the front bench in July 2007, when he was appointed as Liberal Democrat spokesman on the Cabinet Office and the Duchy of Lancaster.

In December 2007, after the election of Nick Clegg as party leader, Norman Baker returned to the front bench as spokesman on Transport.

Norman Baker announced on 19 May 2006 that he had decided to step down from the Liberal Democrats' front bench to pursue a quest to establish the truth behind the death in 2003 of David Kelly, an expert in biological warfare employed by the Ministry of Defence and a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq.

In December 2007, Norman Baker was criticised, but not fined by the House of Commons Committee on Standards and Privileges for a newsletter which contained an "advertising feature" about a Liberal Democrat MEP.

Norman Baker is President of the Tibet Society, and was a member of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet.

In March 2010, the BBC ran an investigation detailing 37 occasions that Norman Baker failed to declare a financial interest in Tibet during parliamentary debates and questions, despite receiving hospitality from the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Norman Baker released a statement saying that it was an oversight.

At the 2010 general election Norman Baker was again returned as MP for Lewes.

The Liberal Democrats entered a coalition agreement with the Conservative Party on 11 May 2010, and Norman Baker was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.

In 2013, Norman Baker was quoted as saying that rail fares were "not that expensive" when compared to fares for rail travel in other countries, and that deals that were available reduced the price significantly.

In December 2013, it was reported that Norman Baker had encouraged the Director of Public Prosecutions to reopen or reconsider six cases involving female genital mutilation, as forbidden by the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985.

Norman Baker was appointed a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2014, giving him the right to the Honorific Title "The Right Honourable" for life.

Norman Baker resigned from the Home Office on 3 November 2014, citing conflicts with Home Secretary Theresa May On the same day, he described being the only Liberal Democrat in the Home Office as like being "the only hippy at an Iron Maiden concert".

Norman Baker is the chief lyricist with music written by Mike Phipps.

Norman Baker was the managing director of The Big Lemon, a bus operator based in Brighton, from March 2017 to January 2018.

On 10 September 2022, Norman Baker attended the Accession Council and Principal Proclamation for His Majesty King Charles III at St James's Palace, London.