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Claire Baker | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forMid Scotland and Fife (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2007 | |
| Scottish Labour portfolios | |
| 2014–2016 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs |
| 2016–2017 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice |
| 2017–2023 | Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Claire Josephine Brennan (1971-03-04)4 March 1971 (age 54) Dunfermline, Scotland |
| Party | Scottish LabourCo-operative |
| Spouse | Richard Baker |
Claire Josephine Baker (née Brennan; born 4 March 1971) is aScottish Labour politician who has served as aMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for theMid Scotland and Fife region since2007.
Claire Baker was born on 4 March 1971 in Dunfermline to Margaret (née Edgar) and James Brennan.[1] She grew up inKelty, and attended primary and secondary schools inFife.[2] She studied for an MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature at theUniversity of Edinburgh and in 1997 was awarded a PhD from theUniversity of Glasgow.[1]
Baker worked in a variety of research and policy posts. This included working as a Research Officer for theScottish Parliamentary Labour Group from 1999 to 2002, Research Officer for the trade unionAmicus from 2002 to 2004, and as Research and Information Manager at theRoyal College of Nursing, Scotland from 2004 to 2005. Immediately prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament, she was Policy Manager for theScottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the umbrella body for charities and community and voluntary organisations in Scotland.[1]
In May 2007 she was elected for theMid Scotland and Fife region.
In the2011 election, Baker contested the seat ofMid Fife and Glenrothes but lost to the SNP'sTricia Marwick, who subsequently resigned from the SNP to become the Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer. However, she was successfully returned to the Scottish Parliament as 2nd on Labour'sMid Scotland and Fife regional list.
In theHolyrood election of 2016, Baker unsuccessfully stood in theKirkcaldy constituency and was defeated byDavid Torrance of theScottish National Party, suffering a swing against Labour of 15.8%. She was subsequently returned to the Scottish Parliament as a member for Mid Scotland and Fife on the regional list as Labour's 2nd place candidate.
At the2021 Scottish Parliament election Baker was supported as aLabour Co-operative candidate for the first time.[3] She contested the constituency seat ofKirkcaldy but was returned to Parliament as a regional list member forMid Scotland and Fife again.
In 2011 she was Labour's Shadow Minister for Education in the Scottish Parliament[4][5] and the Deputy Convener of the Education and Culture Committee. She later served on the Scottish Labour front bench as spokesperson for Rural Affairs and Environment (2011–2014),[6] Culture, Europe and External Affairs (2014–2015),[7] and Democracy (covering "constitution, Europe, culture and power in society") (2015–2016).[8] Having served as Scottish Labour's spokesperson on Justice, Baker is currently Shadow Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs.[9]
Baker nominatedAnas Sarwar in the2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.[10]
Baker backed the UK Government’s decision to introduce means-testing for the Winter Fuel Payment, voting in the Scottish Parliament against calls to reverse the decision.[11]
In 2004 she marriedRichard Baker,[1][12] who was formerly anMSP forNorth East Scotland.[13] The couple have one daughter.[1] In 1998, Baker published aCritical Guide to the Poetry of Sylvia Plath.[1]