Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking Facts for Kids

Junior ministerial offices 1981–1985

Minister of State for Local Government
In office 11 September 1984 – 1 September 1985
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Sec. of State	Patrick Jenkin
Preceded by	The Lord Bellwin
Succeeded by	William Waldegrave
Minister of State for Industry and Information Technology
In office 5 January 1981 – 10 September 1984
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Sec. of State	Sir Keith Joseph Patrick Jenkin Cecil Parkinson Norman Tebbit
Preceded by	The Viscount Trenchard
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Pattie
Parliamentary Secretary for the Civil Service Department
In office 7 April 1972 – 4 March 1974 Serving with Geoff Johnson-Smith (1972–1974)
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	David Howell
Succeeded by	Robert Sheldon

Parliamentary offices

Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 June 1997 Life Peerage
Member of Parliament for Mole Valley
In office 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Paul Beresford
Member of Parliament for St Marylebone
In office 22 October 1970 – 13 May 1983
Preceded by	Quintin Hogg
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for Acton
In office 28 March 1968 – 29 May 1970
Preceded by	Bernard Floud
Succeeded by	Nigel Spearing

Personal details

Born

3 November 1934 (age 90)
Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Mary Elizabeth Gray-Muir

(m. 1963)

Children

Oswin · Sophia · Amy

Residences

Iford, East Sussex, England

Education

Hampton Grammar School
St Paul's School, London

Alma mater

Magdalen College, Oxford (BA, MSc)

Signature

a. Minister of State for Industry: 5 January 1981 to 12 June 1983

Kenneth Wilfred Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking (born 3 November 1934) is a British politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1968 to 1997. During his career, he held important government jobs, including Home Secretary and Education Secretary. He also led the Conservative Party for a time.

After leaving the House of Commons in 1997, he became a life peer as Baron Baker of Dorking. This meant he joined the House of Lords, which is the second chamber of the UK Parliament.

Early Life and Education
Political Journey
Supporting Education
Personal Life and Interests
In the Media
Images for kids

Early Life and Education

Kenneth Baker was born in Newport, Wales. His father worked for the government. He went to Hampton Grammar School and then St Paul's School, London.

Later, he studied history at Magdalen College, Oxford and earned a degree in 1958. He also got a Master's degree in International Law and Regulations. Before becoming a politician, he served in the Royal Artillery and worked for Royal Dutch Shell.

Political Journey

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Kenneth Baker first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in March 1968. An MP is a person elected to represent a specific area in the House of Commons. He represented different areas over the years.

He was first elected for Acton. Later, he was elected for St Marylebone in central London. When that area changed, he became the MP for Mole Valley in Surrey. He held this seat until he retired from the House of Commons in 1997.

Early Government Roles

Baker started his government career in 1972. He worked in the Civil Service Department. Later, he became a special assistant to Prime Minister Edward Heath.

In 1981, he became the Minister for Information Technology. This role was in the Department of Trade and Industry. In 1985, he joined the Cabinet as the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Cabinet is a group of the most senior ministers in the government.

Leading Education Changes

From 1986 to 1989, Kenneth Baker was the Secretary of State for Education. This was one of his most important roles. He introduced the "National Curriculum" through the 1988 Education Act. This curriculum set out what children should learn in schools across England and Wales.

He also started "Baker days," which are special training days for teachers. Many people saw him as a possible future leader of the Conservative Party during this time.

Chairman of the Conservative Party

In 1989, Baker was chosen to be the Chairman of the Conservative Party. His job was to help the party win the next general election. He worked to manage public opinion, especially during a time when a new tax called the "poll tax" was very unpopular. He remained Party Chairman when Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister in 1990.

Home Secretary Role

After Margaret Thatcher, John Major became Prime Minister. Kenneth Baker was then promoted to Home Secretary. This is a very important job, responsible for law and order in the country. During his time as Home Secretary, he dealt with prison issues and introduced the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Life After Cabinet

After the 1992 general election, Kenneth Baker decided to leave the government. He was given a special honour called the Order of the Companions of Honour. In 1997, he chose not to run for election again. He was then made a life peer and became Baron Baker of Dorking, joining the House of Lords.

Since 2019, Lord Baker has been campaigning to remove GCSE exams. He believes they are no longer useful and can cause stress for young people. He also thinks they don't teach the skills employers need today.

Supporting Education

Kenneth Baker co-founded the Baker Dearing Educational Trust. This trust helps set up University Technical Colleges (UTCs) in England. UTCs are special schools for 14-19 year olds that focus on technical and practical subjects.

He also chairs the Edge Foundation, a charity that works for a complete and well-rounded education for all young people.

Personal Life and Interests

Lord Baker lives in Iford, England. He has written several books, including ones about King George IV and King George III. He has also published poetry and a book about political cartoons.

He enjoys collecting books and political caricatures. His son, Oswin, is also involved in politics.

In the Media

Kenneth Baker has appeared in various media. He was interviewed for a BBC documentary about Thatcherism. He was also famously shown as a slug in the satirical TV show Spitting Image.

Baker in 2018

Images for kids

Kenneth Baker's signature

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Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking facts for kids

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