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Nicholas Baker (politician)

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This article is about the British politician. For other people with the same or similar names, see Nicholas Baker (disambiguation).

Sir Nicholas Baker
Baker at PMQs, 1996
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
3 December 1990 – 20 July 1994
Prime MinisterJohn Major
Preceded byTom Sackville
Succeeded byDerek Conway
Member of Parliament
for North Dorset
In office
3 May 1979 – 8 April 1997
Preceded byDavid James
Succeeded byRobert Walter
Personal details
Born
Nicholas Brian Baker

(1938-11-23)23 November 1938
Hampshire, England
Died25 April 1997(1997-04-25) (aged 58)
Hampshire, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Carol d'Abo
​
(m. 1970)​
Children2
Alma materExeter College, Oxford
OccupationPolitician, government minister

Sir Nicholas Brian Baker (23 November 1938 – 25 April 1997) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament and government minister.

Background

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Baker was born in Hampshire, the son of a military officer.[1][2] He was educated at Clifton College and Oxford University, and became a solicitor.[1]

Career

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After unsuccessfully contesting the safe Labour seat of Peckham in February and October 1974, he represented the parliamentary constituency of North Dorset from 1979 until 1997.[1]

He was also a Home Office junior minister under Michael Howard.[2] In this role, he was involved in blocking Mohamed Al-Fayed's long-running attempts to attain British citizenship and in the widely publicized reprieve of a dog called Dempsey which had been threatened with death under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Health problems caused Baker to resign his ministerial post, and he announced that he would not re-stand for his parliamentary seat at the 1997 general election. He was knighted during the final weeks of his life.[1]

Personal life and death

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In 1970, Baker married to Carol d'Abo, sister of musician & broadcaster Mike d'Abo, and they adopted a son Matthew and a daughter Annabel.[2] Baker was an evangelical Christian.[2] He died from cancer at his home in Hampshire on 25 April 1997, at the age of 58.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Sir Nicholas Baker". The Daily Telegraph. 28 April 1997. p. 21. Retrieved 20 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d M Patrick Cosgrave (28 April 1997). "Obituary: Sir Nicholas Baker - People - News". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  3. ^ Clarke, Tim (28 April 1997). "Tories' tributes to a popular MP". Bournemouth Daily Echo. p. 6. Retrieved 20 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "BAKER, NICHOLAS BRIAN 1938 GRO Reference: DOR Q2/1997 in RINGWOOD AND FORDINGBRIDGE (4981)" (Document). General Register Office.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Dorset North
1979 – 1997 		Succeeded by


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