Duncan Baker

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Duncan Baker
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for North Norfolk
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byNorman Lamb
Majority14,395 (28.3%)
Personal details
Born (1979-11-15) 15 November 1979 (age 44)
Norfolk, England
Political partyConservative (2016–present)
Other political
affiliations
UKIP (before 2016)
Alma materNottingham Trent University
Websitewww.duncanbaker.org.uk

Duncan Charles Baker (born 15 November 1979)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician, who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Norfolk since the 2019 general election.

Early life and career[edit]

Baker was born in November 1979 in Norfolk, and educated at Gresham's, a private school in Holt. He studied business at Nottingham Trent University, then qualified as a chartered accountant, and worked as a finance director.[2]

Political career[edit]

Baker ran for election to North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) in 2015,[3] standing for UKIP in the Holt ward, which had previously been his step-father Michael's seat.[4][5] He received 714 votes and was not elected. He was elected to the same ward as a Conservative in a 2017 by-election, gaining the seat from the Liberal Democrats with 724 votes.[6]

He became Conservative group leader in North Norfolk in May 2019.[7] On election as an MP, he stood down from this position and was replaced by Christopher Cushing as group leader.[8]

He was elected Member of Parliament for North Norfolk in 2019, standing as a Conservative.[9] The constituency saw the largest decrease in the Liberal Democrat vote share at the 2019 general election,[10] and the third highest increase in vote share for the Conservatives.[11] The long-time incumbent, Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb, had stood down after having been the MP for North Norfolk since 2001. The swing to the Conservatives was 17.5%.

Baker's record in the Parliamentary Register of members Interests shows that he has received indirect financial support from Thomas Coke, 8th Earl of Leicester, whose Holkham estate is in the constituency.[12][13]

Baker was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in February 2022. He resigned on 6 July 2022, in protest at Boris Johnson's conduct in the Chris Pincher scandal.[14]

Personal life[edit]

He lives in North Norfolk and is married. He is a father of two daughters.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
  2. ^ a b Anderson, Stuart (13 December 2019). "Profile of North Norfolk's new MP". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  3. ^ https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/media/2195/declaration_of_results_district_07052015.pdf
  4. ^ "Rise in number of councillors not having to face the ballot box across Norfolk and the Fens". Watton & Swaffham Times. 11 April 2015. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  5. ^ https://www.duncanbaker.org.uk/news/maiden-speech-house-commons
  6. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Holt Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ Bale, David (22 May 2019). "Duncan Baker appointed Group Leader of the Conservative party at North Norfolk District Council". North Norfolk News. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  8. ^ Nicholson, Abigail (13 January 2020). "New Leader of North Norfolk Conservatives announced as Christopher Cushing". North Norfolk News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Norfolk North parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  10. ^ "General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  11. ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019. Glasgow: Times Books. 2020. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1.
  12. ^ "The Register of Members' Financial Interests As at 99 November 28". UK Parliament. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Mystery deepens over secret source of Brexit 'b bucks'". Open Democracy. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  14. ^ Anderson, Stuart (6 July 2022). "Norfolk MP quits government role as prime minister clings to power". North Norfolk News. Retrieved 6 July 2022.

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for North Norfolk
2019–present
Incumbent