Kenneth Baker
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Wilfred Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking, CH
, PC
(born 3 November 1934), is a British politician, a former Conservative
MP and a Life Member of the Tory Reform Group
.
, Monmouthshire
, son of a civil servant, he was educated at the former Hampton Grammar School
, a boys' voluntary aided school
, now Hampton School
, an independent school
, between 1946 and 1948, and thereafter at St Paul's School, a boys' independent school in Barnes, London and at Magdalen College, Oxford
where he graduated with a BA Degree in Law (1958) and four years later his MS degree in International Law and Regulations (1962). He did National Service
as an army lieutenant and worked for Royal Dutch Shell
before being elected as a Member of Parliament
at a by-election in March 1968.
in Ealing
, London
, at a March 1968 by-election
, gaining it from Labour following the death of Bernard Floud
. However, in the 1970 general election
, he was defeated by Labour's Nigel Spearing
(the seat was later regained by Sir George Young
who held it until 1997 and who is now MP for North-West Hampshire). Following the surprise Conservative victory in 1970, a suitable Lord Chancellor
had to be found- this was Quintin McGarel Hogg who was given the necessary peerage, removing him from the Commons and making him a member of the Lords. At the ensuing by-election, held on 22 October 1970
, Baker was elected for the safe Conservative seat
of St Marylebone
in central London. In 1983, this seat was abolished and Baker was defeated by Peter Brooke
for the new seat of Cities of London & Westminster
; however, he relocated to Mole Valley
, a rural seat in Surrey
, and safely Tory, which he held until his retirement in 1997. He was succeeded by Sir Paul Beresford
.
After being Minister for Information Technology from 1981, he entered the Cabinet as Secretary of State for the Environment
in 1985, before serving as Secretary of State for Education from 1986 to 1989. Baker's most noted action in his time at the Department of Education was the introduction of the controversial "National Curriculum" through the 1988 Education Act. He also introduced in-service training days
for teachers, which became popularly known as "Baker days". At this time Baker was often tipped as a future Conservative leader, including in the 1987 edition of Julian Critchley
's biography of Michael Heseltine
. Critchley quoted one journalist's witticism "I have seen the future and it smirks" (a reference to the famous line "I have seen the future and it works" written by Lincoln Steffens
, an American visitor to Stalin's USSR in 1921).
In the July 1989 reshuffle Baker was appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party
, with the intention that he should organise a fourth consecutive General Election victory for Margaret Thatcher
. Baker managed to steer the government through the otherwise disastrous local elections of May 1990 by stressing the good results for Conservative "flagship" councils in Westminster and Wandsworth, i.e. supposedly demonstrating that the Poll Tax
—a source of great unpopularity for the government—could be a vote-winner for Conservative councils who kept it low. He was still Party Chairman at the time Margaret Thatcher
resigned (November 1990).
After the change of regime Baker was promoted to Home Secretary. His time as Home Secretary was marred by prison riots, bad publicity over the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
and a ruling that he was guilty of contempt of court. During this time Baker, who dressed his hair with brylcreem
, had come to be portrayed by the satirical programme Spitting Image
as an oily snail.
In 1991 the Court of Appeal held that Baker was in contempt of court - the first serving minister to be found guilty of contempt - for defying a court order and deporting a man from Zaire while proceedings were pending. "It would be a black day for the rule of law and the liberty of the subject," the court ruled, "if ministers were not accountable to the courts for their personal actions." However, this ruling did not prompt Baker to resign as Home Secretary.
as Baron Baker of Dorking, of Iford in the County of East Sussex
.
He had been living up to 1995 in Station Road in the village of Betchworth
four miles east of Dorking, until his retirement.
, George IV: A Life in Caricature, followed by King George III
: A Life in Caricature in 2007;(Thames & Hudson). Other publications include several compilations of poetry, a history of political cartoons and his autobiography.
In 2006, Lord Baker announced that he was introducing a bill
into the House of Lords
to address the West Lothian question
. This would prevent Scottish and Welsh MPs
from voting on legislation which affects England alone as a result of devolution
to the Scottish Parliament
or the Welsh Assembly.
for the 2006 BBC
TV documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory!
.
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Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(born 3 November 1934), is a British politician, a former Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP and a Life Member of the Tory Reform Group
Tory Reform Group
The Tory Reform Group is a group aligned to, but independent of, the British Conservative Party, that works to promote the values of the One Nation Tory vision...
.
Early life
Born in NewportNewport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, son of a civil servant, he was educated at the former Hampton Grammar School
Hampton School
Hampton School is an independent boys' day school in Hampton, London, England.-History:In 1556, Robert Hammond, a wealthy brewer who had acquired property in Hampton, left in his will provision for the maintenance of a 'free scole' and to build a small schoolhouse 'with seates in yt' in the...
, a boys' voluntary aided school
Voluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school...
, now Hampton School
Hampton School
Hampton School is an independent boys' day school in Hampton, London, England.-History:In 1556, Robert Hammond, a wealthy brewer who had acquired property in Hampton, left in his will provision for the maintenance of a 'free scole' and to build a small schoolhouse 'with seates in yt' in the...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, between 1946 and 1948, and thereafter at St Paul's School, a boys' independent school in Barnes, London and at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
where he graduated with a BA Degree in Law (1958) and four years later his MS degree in International Law and Regulations (1962). He did National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
as an army lieutenant and worked for Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
before being elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
at a by-election in March 1968.
In the government
Kenneth Baker was first elected to Parliament when he won ActonActon (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 1940s :- Elections in the 1960s :-References:...
in Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, at a March 1968 by-election
Acton by-election, 1968
The Acton by-election of 28 March 1968 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament Bernard Floud on 10 October 1967. The seat was gained by the Conservatives in a defeat for Harold Wilson's government. It was one of the three Conservative gains from Labour on the same day, the others...
, gaining it from Labour following the death of Bernard Floud
Bernard Floud
Bernard Francis Castle Floud was a British farmer, television company executive and politician.-Before Parliament:...
. However, in the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, he was defeated by Labour's Nigel Spearing
Nigel Spearing
Nigel John Spearing is a British Labour Party politician.Nigel Spearing was born in London, and educated at Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge. After graduating in 1956, he worked as a tutor and teacher, firstly at Wandsworth School and then at Elliot School,...
(the seat was later regained by Sir George Young
Sir George Young, 6th Baronet
Sir George Samuel Knatchbull Young, 6th Baronet is a British politician. He is currently the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal, and has served as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament since 1974, having represented North West Hampshire since 1997, and Ealing Acton before...
who held it until 1997 and who is now MP for North-West Hampshire). Following the surprise Conservative victory in 1970, a suitable Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
had to be found- this was Quintin McGarel Hogg who was given the necessary peerage, removing him from the Commons and making him a member of the Lords. At the ensuing by-election, held on 22 October 1970
St Marylebone by-election, 1970
The St Marylebone by-election of 22 October 1970 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament Quintin Hogg became a life peer. The seat was retained by the Conservatives.-Results:...
, Baker was elected for the safe Conservative seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
of St Marylebone
St Marylebone (UK Parliament constituency)
St Marylebone was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Marylebone district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in central London. In 1983, this seat was abolished and Baker was defeated by Peter Brooke
Peter Brooke
Peter Leonard Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, CH, PC , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and was a Member of Parliament representing the Cities of London and Westminster from...
for the new seat of Cities of London & Westminster
Cities of London and Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Cities of London and Westminster is a borough constituency covering the area comprising the City of London and southern portion of the City of Westminster in Central London...
; however, he relocated to Mole Valley
Mole Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Mole Valley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, a rural seat in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and safely Tory, which he held until his retirement in 1997. He was succeeded by Sir Paul Beresford
Paul Beresford
Sir Alexander Paul Beresford is a British Conservative Party politician, practising dentist and the Member of Parliament for Mole Valley.-Early life:...
.
After being Minister for Information Technology from 1981, he entered the Cabinet as Secretary of State for the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
in 1985, before serving as Secretary of State for Education from 1986 to 1989. Baker's most noted action in his time at the Department of Education was the introduction of the controversial "National Curriculum" through the 1988 Education Act. He also introduced in-service training days
Inset day
An inset day, originally an acronym for IN-SErvice Training day, and sometimes known as a Baker day, is one of a series of five days in most English, Welsh and Northern Irish schools during term time but on which school sessions are not required to be run, and the pupils do not attend school...
for teachers, which became popularly known as "Baker days". At this time Baker was often tipped as a future Conservative leader, including in the 1987 edition of Julian Critchley
Julian Critchley
Sir Julian Michael Gordon Critchley was a British Conservative Party politician.Born in Islington, the son of a distinguished neurosurgeon, as a boy Critchley was brought up in Swiss Cottage, north London, and Shropshire, where he attended preparatory school, and later Shrewsbury School...
's biography of Michael Heseltine
Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major...
. Critchley quoted one journalist's witticism "I have seen the future and it smirks" (a reference to the famous line "I have seen the future and it works" written by Lincoln Steffens
Lincoln Steffens
-Biography:Steffens was born April 6, 1866, in San Francisco. He grew up in a wealthy family and attended a military academy. He studied in France and Germany after graduating from the University of California....
, an American visitor to Stalin's USSR in 1921).
In the July 1989 reshuffle Baker was appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
, with the intention that he should organise a fourth consecutive General Election victory for Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. Baker managed to steer the government through the otherwise disastrous local elections of May 1990 by stressing the good results for Conservative "flagship" councils in Westminster and Wandsworth, i.e. supposedly demonstrating that the Poll Tax
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
—a source of great unpopularity for the government—could be a vote-winner for Conservative councils who kept it low. He was still Party Chairman at the time Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
resigned (November 1990).
After the change of regime Baker was promoted to Home Secretary. His time as Home Secretary was marred by prison riots, bad publicity over the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was introduced in response to various incidents of serious injury or death resulting from attacks by aggressive and uncontrolled dogs, particularly on children...
and a ruling that he was guilty of contempt of court. During this time Baker, who dressed his hair with brylcreem
Brylcreem
Brylcreem is a brand of hair styling products for men. The first Brylcreem product was a pomade created in 1928 by County Chemicals at the Chemico Works in Bradford Street, Birmingham, England. The pomade is an emulsion of water and mineral oil stabilised with beeswax.Beecham was the longtime...
, had come to be portrayed by the satirical programme Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
as an oily snail.
In 1991 the Court of Appeal held that Baker was in contempt of court - the first serving minister to be found guilty of contempt - for defying a court order and deporting a man from Zaire while proceedings were pending. "It would be a black day for the rule of law and the liberty of the subject," the court ruled, "if ministers were not accountable to the courts for their personal actions." However, this ruling did not prompt Baker to resign as Home Secretary.
Retirement
After the 1992 General Election he left the government rather than accept demotion to the job of Welsh Secretary. He chose not to stand for re-election to the House of Commons in 1997 and on June 16, 1997 was made a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Baker of Dorking, of Iford in the County of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
.
He had been living up to 1995 in Station Road in the village of Betchworth
Betchworth
Betchworth is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. The village lies on the north bank of the River Mole, off the A25 road, about three miles east of Dorking and three miles west of Reigate. The village lay within the Reigate hundred.It was home to the now...
four miles east of Dorking, until his retirement.
Personal life
In 2005 he published a book on King George IVGeorge IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, George IV: A Life in Caricature, followed by King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
: A Life in Caricature in 2007;(Thames & Hudson). Other publications include several compilations of poetry, a history of political cartoons and his autobiography.
In 2006, Lord Baker announced that he was introducing a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
into the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
to address the West Lothian question
West Lothian question
The West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
. This would prevent Scottish and Welsh MPs
MPS
MPS may refer to:* Robinson List, aka Mail Preference Service, direct mail opt-out system* Malmin Palloseura, association football club from Helsinki, Finland.* Marginal propensity to save* Master Production Schedule...
from voting on legislation which affects England alone as a result of devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
or the Welsh Assembly.
In the media
Baker was interviewed about the rise of ThatcherismThatcherism
Thatcherism describes the conviction politics, economic and social policy, and political style of the British Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990...
for the 2006 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory!
Tory! Tory! Tory!
Tory! Tory! Tory! is a 2006 BBC television documentary series on the history of the people and ideas that formed Thatcherism told through the eyes of those on the New Right.-Production:...
.
External links
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