Steve Baker (politician)

The Right Honourable Steve Baker FRSA
Official portrait, 2020
Minister of State in the Cabinet Office
In office 7 February 2024 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Minister of State for Northern Ireland
In office 7 September 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Liz Truss Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Conor Burns
Succeeded by	Vacant
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
In office 13 June 2017 – 9 July 2018
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	The Lord Bridges of Headley
Succeeded by	Chris Heaton-Harris
Member of Parliament for Wycombe
In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Paul Goodman
Succeeded by	Emma Reynolds
Personal details
Born	Steven John Baker (1971-06-06) 6 June 1971 (age 53) St Austell, Cornwall, England
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	University of Southampton St Cross College, Oxford
Signature
Website	Official website Commons website
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1989–1999
Rank	Flight lieutenant
Service number	5206370Q

Steven John Baker (born 6 June 1971) is a British former politician who served as Minister of State for Northern Ireland from 2022 to 2024 and as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office from February to July 2024, having previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wycombe in Buckinghamshire from 2010 to 2024. Baker was chair of the European Research Group (ERG) from 2016 to 2017 and from 2019 to 2020.

Born in St Austell, Baker attended Poltair School. He went on to study at the University of Southampton and at St Cross College, Oxford. He joined the Royal Air Force as an engineer in 1989 and served until his retirement in 1999. He later worked as a consulting software engineer and manager between 1999 and 2010. He was selected as the Conservative party candidate for Wycombe in October 2009 and was elected for the constituency in the 2010 general election. As a backbencher, Baker was an executive member of the 1922 committee from 2012 to 2017. He was reelected in 2015 general election, and became Chair of the ERG in 2016. After the 2017 general election which Baker was reelected in, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union under Prime Minister Theresa May. He resigned in 2018 over disagreements with May's Brexit strategy. After his return to the backbenches, Baker became Deputy Chair of the ERG in 2018. He was reelected in the 2019 general election, and later again became the Chair of the ERG in the same year before his resignation from the position in 2020.

After the resignation of Boris Johnson, Baker considered a possible bid for the leadership in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, but chose not to stand and endorsed Suella Braverman. He later endorsed Liz Truss's successful campaign in the election, and after Truss became Prime Minister in September 2022, Baker returned to the government as Minister of State for Northern Ireland in Truss's government. After Truss's resignation the following month, Baker endorsed Rishi Sunak in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election and was subsequently reappointed to his position in the Sunak ministry. He was sworn into the Privy Council in November 2023, and gained the additional office of Minister of State in the Cabinet Office in February 2024. After serving in parliament for 14 years, Baker was defeated at the 2024 general election; losing his seat to the Labour Party.