{{Short description|Scottish Labour politician (born 1971)}} {{BLP sources|date=August 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Use British English|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Claire Baker | honorific_suffix = [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] | image = Official portrait of Claire Baker (cropped).jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2026 | office = [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]]<br />for [[Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Mid Scotland and Fife]]<br />{{nobold|(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)}} | term_start = 3 May 2007 | term_end = | office1 = Scottish Labour portfolios | suboffice1 = [[Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs|Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs]] | subterm1 = 2014–2016 | suboffice2 = [[Cabinet Secretary for Justice|Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice]] | subterm2 = 2016–2017 | suboffice3 = Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture | subterm3 = 2017–2023 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|3|4|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Dunfermline]], Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | birth_name = Claire Josephine Brennan | party = [[Scottish Labour]] [[Co-operative Party|Co-operative]] | spouse = [[Richard Baker (Scottish politician)|Richard Baker]] }}
'''Claire Josephine Baker''' (née Brennan; born 4 March 1971) is a [[Scottish Labour]] politician who has served as a [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) for the [[Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Mid Scotland and Fife]] region since [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007]].
==Early life and career== Claire Baker was born on 4 March 1971 in Dunfermline to Margaret (''née'' Edgar) and James Brennan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com.connect.nls.uk/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U246707/BAKER_Claire_Josephine|title=Who's the who|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2017|edition=Online}}</ref> She grew up in [[Kelty]], and attended primary and secondary schools in [[Fife]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clairebaker.org/index.php?id=60|title=Biography – Claire Baker, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife|last=Baker|first=Claire|accessdate=7 May 2009}}</ref> She studied for an MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature at the [[University of Edinburgh]] and in 1997 was awarded a PhD from the [[University of Glasgow]].<ref name=":0" />
==Career== Baker worked in a variety of research and policy posts. This included working as a Research Officer for the [[Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group]] from 1999 to 2002, Research Officer for the trade union [[Unite the Union|Amicus]] from 2002 to 2004, and as Research and Information Manager at the [[Royal College of Nursing]], Scotland from 2004 to 2005. 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.<ref name=":0" />
In May 2007 she was elected for the [[Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Mid Scotland and Fife]] region.
In the [[2011 Scottish Parliament election|2011 election]], Baker contested the seat of [[Mid Fife and Glenrothes (Scottish Parliament constituency)|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 (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Mid Scotland and Fife]] regional list.
In the [[2016 Scottish Parliament election|Holyrood election]] of 2016, Baker unsuccessfully stood in the [[Kirkcaldy (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy]] constituency and was defeated by [[David Torrance (politician)|David Torrance]] of the [[Scottish 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 the [[2021 Scottish Parliament election]] Baker was supported as a [[Labour Co-operative]] candidate for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://party.coop/scottish-parliament-2021 |title=Introducing your Scottish Parliament candidate |publisher=[[Co-operative Party]] |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref> She contested the constituency seat of [[Kirkcaldy (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy]] but was returned to Parliament as a regional list member for [[Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Mid Scotland and Fife]] again.
In 2011 she was Labour's Shadow Minister for Education in the Scottish Parliament<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13472582 Scottish Labour unveils front bench team], BBC News, 20 May 2011</ref><ref>[http://labourhame.com/free-higher-education-and-the-most-expensive-degree-in-the-uk-%E2%80%93-a-contradiction-too-far/ Higher Education and the most expensive degree in the UK – a contradiction too far?], Labour Hame, 9 September 2011</ref> 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),<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16241779 Johann Lamont hands finance role to rival Ken Mackintosh], BBC News, 19 December 2011</ref> Culture, Europe and External Affairs (2014–2015),<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/16/scottish-labour-jim-murphy-reshuffle Scottish Labour reshuffle sees allies and rivals alike on Holyrood front bench], The Guardian, 16 December 2014</ref> and Democracy (covering "constitution, Europe, culture and power in society") (2015–2016).<ref>[https://www.holyrood.com/articles/news/kezia-dugdale-unveils-scottish-labour-front-bench-team Kezia Dugdale unveils Scottish Labour front bench team], Holyrood, 19 August 2015</ref> Having served as Scottish Labour's spokesperson on Justice, Baker is currently Shadow Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.clairebaker.org/?page_id=109|title=About Claire | Claire Baker MSP}}</ref>
Baker nominated [[Anas Sarwar]] in the [[2021 Scottish Labour leadership election]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Scottish Leadership Election 2021 – Nominations|url=http://scottishlabour.org.uk/people/2021-leadership-election/nominations/|access-date=2021-01-26|website=Scottish Labour|language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-08 |title=How every MSP voted as Holyrood rejected the UK's Winter Fuel Payment cut |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/24639083.winter-fuel-payment-cuts-full-list-labour-msps-oppose/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref>
She was re-elected list MSP in the [[2026 Scottish Parliament election]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-05-08 |title=Mid Scotland and Fife regional MSPs announced in Scottish elections – see full list |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/26091656.scottish-election-mid-scotland-fife-regional-list-msps/ |access-date=2026-05-10 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == In 2004 she married [[Richard Baker (Scottish politician)|Richard Baker]],<ref name=":0" /><ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6638173.stm MSPs at their best for ceremony], BBC News, 9 May 2007</ref> who was formerly an [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] for [[North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|North East Scotland]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/U2000288|title=Who's who|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2017|edition=Online}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> The couple have one daughter.<ref name=":0" /> In 1998, Baker published a ''Critical Guide to the Poetry of Sylvia Plath''.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{SP-MSP}} * [http://www.clairebaker.org/ Claire Baker MSP] Personal website
{{MidScotlandFife MSPs}} {{Scottish Labour Party}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Claire}} [[Category:1971 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Kelty]] [[Category:Labour MSPs]] [[Category:Labour Co-operative MSPs]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–2016]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026]] [[Category:Female members of the Scottish Parliament]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2026–2031]]