Richard Baker (Scottish politician)

Infobox MSP
honorific-prefix =
name = Richard Baker
honorific-suffix = MSP

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caption =
constituency_MP = North East Scotland
parliament = Scottish
majority =
term_start = 1 May 2003
term_end =
predecessor =
successor =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1974|05|29|df=yes
birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
death_date =
death_place =
birthname =
nationality =
party = Scottish Labour Party
spouse = Claire Brennan
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = University of Aberdeen
occupation =
profession =
cabinet =
committees =
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Richard Baker (born May 29, 1974, Edinburgh) was the youngest sitting member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) when elected. A member of the Labour Party, he was elected as a list member for North East Scotland at the 2003 election.

Richard was born in Edinburgh to an Episcopalian Vicar father and English teacher mother, and is Godson to the then Episcopalian Bishop of Aberdeen. Educated at the independent St. Bees School in Cumbria and Aberdeen University. [Times Higher article 24 December 1999 http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=149450&sectioncode=26]

He was elected President of the National Union of Students Scotland from 1998 till 2000, having previously been the North of Scotland Area Convener for that union, and before that the Senior Vice-President (an elected, full-time sabbatical officer post) at the University of Aberdeen Students' Representative Council (now Aberdeen University Students' Association) in the academic year 1995/96.

In 2004 he was a member of the Scottish Parliament team in the TV general knowledge program, University Challenge - The Professionals. He and fellow team members Robin Harper (Green), Jamie Stone (Lib Dem) who was captain, and Stewart Stevenson (SNP) beat a Welsh Assembly team by 110 points to 75 [ [http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uc04pro.html 2004 Series University Challenge - The Professionals] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3844487.stm Scots win in 'Paxo' challenge (BBC)] , "BBC News", 28 June 2004] . Both teams comfortably surpassed the record low score of 25 achieved by the House of Commons team in 2003 [ [http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uc03pro.html 2003 Series University Challenge - The Professionals] ]

His wife, Claire Brennan-Baker became an MSP after the 2007 election.

Richard Baker is Labour's Justice spokesperson in the Scottish Parliament.

External links

* [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/richard_baker/index.htm Scottish Parliament official biography]
* [http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/north_east_scotland_Richard_Baker Richard Baker MSP] Scottish Labour party website
* [http://www.richardbakermsp.org.uk/ Richard Baker MSP] Personal website