Claire Baker
Encyclopedia
Claire Baker is a Scottish
Labour Party
politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Mid Scotland and Fife since 2007. She is Labour's Shadow Minister for Education in the Scottish Parliament.
, and attended primary and secondary schools in Fife
.
She is married to Richard Baker
, MSP
for North East Scotland.
and a similar role for the Royal College of Nursing
. Immediately prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament, she was Policy Manager for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the umbrella body for charities and community and voluntary organisations in Scotland. .
In the 2011 election
, Baker contested the seat of Mid Fife and Glenrothes
but lost to the SNP's Tricia 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's Mid Scotland and Fife
regional list.
In the current session of Parliament, Baker has been appointed the Deputy Convener of the Education and Culture Committee
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Mid Scotland and Fife since 2007. She is Labour's Shadow Minister for Education in the Scottish Parliament.
Background
Claire Baker was born and bred in Fife, having grown up in KeltyKelty
Kelty is located in Fife, Scotland. Kelty is a former coal mining village in the heart of the old mining heartlands of Fife. It is situated on the Fife/Kinross-shire boundary with a population of around 6,000 residents This was nearer to 9,000 when the mining industry was still operational in...
, and attended primary and secondary schools in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
.
She is married to Richard Baker
Richard Baker (Scottish politician)
Richard Baker is a Scottish Labour politician, and member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland region. He was first elected in the 2003 general election, when he was the youngest sitting MSP, and since May 2011 is Labour's Finance spokesperson in the Scottish Parliament...
, MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for North East Scotland.
Career
Prior to being elected for the Mid Scotland and Fife region in May 2007, Baker worked in a variety of research and policy posts. This included working as a Research Officer for the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group, Research Officer for the trade union AmicusUnite the Union
Unite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
and a similar role for the Royal College of Nursing
Royal College of Nursing
The Royal College of Nursing is a union membership organisation with over 395,000 members in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1916, receiving its Royal Charter in 1928, Queen Elizabeth II is the patron...
. Immediately prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament, she was Policy Manager for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the umbrella body for charities and community and voluntary organisations in Scotland. .
In the 2011 election
Scottish Parliament election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to...
, Baker contested the seat of Mid Fife and Glenrothes
Mid Fife and Glenrothes (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Mid Fife and Glenrothes is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
but lost to the SNP's Tricia 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's Mid Scotland and Fife
Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Mid Scotland and Fife is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
regional list.
In the current session of Parliament, Baker has been appointed the Deputy Convener of the Education and Culture Committee
External links
- Claire Baker MSP profile at Scottish Parliament site
- Claire Baker MSP Personal website