Norman Baker

Biography

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 London University, 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 a 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 of the council. 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.

Parliamentary Career

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. He has since also twice come runner up in the annual Channel 4 awards - once in the Best Questionner section and once in the Best Opposition MP section.

In 2001 he won the Spectator Magazine's Inquisitor of the Year Award for pursuing the Mandelson/Hinduja passport affair.

In 2002 he was voted, by MPs, as the Channel 4 Opposition MP of the Year.

Norman is currently the Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary and also Animal Welfare Spokesman.

Norman also serves on the current Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Proceeds of Crime Committee.

He has previously held spokesman roles for Home Affairs, Broadcasting and Consumer Affairs.

Norman has served on the following select committees:

• European Standing Committee
• Environmental Audit Committee