Steve Baker | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2020 | |
Minister of State in the Cabinet Office | |
In office 7 February 2024 – 5 July 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Minister of State for Northern Ireland | |
In office 7 September 2022 – 5 July 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | Conor Burns |
Succeeded by | Vacant |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union | |
In office 13 June 2017 – 9 July 2018 | |
Prime Minister | Theresa May |
Preceded by | The Lord Bridges of Headley |
Succeeded by | Chris Heaton-Harris |
Member of Parliament for Wycombe | |
In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024 | |
Preceded by | Paul Goodman |
Succeeded by | Emma Reynolds |
Personal details | |
Born | Steven John Baker 6 June 1971 St Austell, Cornwall, England |
Political party | Conservative |
Alma mater | University of Southampton St Cross College, Oxford |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | Official website Commons website |
Military career | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1989–1999 |
Rank | Flight lieutenant |
Service number | 5206370Q |
Steven John Baker (born 6 June 1971) is a British former politician who served as Minister of State for Northern Ireland from 2022 to 2024 and as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office from February to July 2024, having previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wycombe in Buckinghamshire from 2010 to 2024. Baker was chair of the European Research Group (ERG) from 2016 to 2017 and from 2019 to 2020.
Born in St Austell, Baker attended Poltair School. He went on to study at the University of Southampton and at St Cross College, Oxford. He joined the Royal Air Force as an engineer in 1989 and served until his retirement in 1999. He later worked as a consulting software engineer and manager between 1999 and 2010. He was selected as the Conservative party candidate for Wycombe in October 2009 and was elected for the constituency in the 2010 general election. As a backbencher, Baker was a executive member of the 1922 committee from 2012 to 2017. He was reelected in 2015 general election, and became Chair of the ERG in 2016. After the 2017 general election which Baker was reelected in, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union under Prime Minister Theresa May. He resigned in 2018 over disagreements with May's Brexit strategy. After his return to the backbenches, Baker became Deputy Chair of the ERG in 2018. He was reelected in the 2019 general election, and later again became the Chair of the ERG in the same year before his resignation from the position in 2020.
After the resignation of Boris Johnson, Baker considered a possible bid for the leadership in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, but chose not to stand and endorsed Suella Braverman. He later endorsed Liz Truss's successful campaign in the election, and after Truss became Prime Minister in September 2022, Baker returned to the government as Minister of State for Northern Ireland in Truss's government. After Truss's resignation the following month, Baker endorsed Rishi Sunak in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election and was subsequently reappointed to his position in the Sunak ministry. He was sworn into the Privy Council in November 2023, and gained the additional office of Minister of State in the Cabinet Office in February 2024. After serving in parliament for 14 years, Baker was defeated at the 2024 general election; losing his seat to the Labour Party.