Kenneth Baker was born in 1934 and educated at St. Paul’s School, London, and Magdalen College, Oxford (BA. History). Son of late Wilfred Michael Baker OBE and Amanda Harries. During his National Service, from 1953 to 1955, he was a Lieutenant in the Artillery in North Africa and an Artillery Instructor to the Libyan Army. From 1960-62 he was a Councillor for Twickenham Borough Council and a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1968 to 1997 serving Acton 1968-70, St Marylebone 1970-83, and Mole Valley 1983-1997. He has held many senior Government positions: PPS to Minister of State, Department of Employment 1970-72; Parliamentary Secretary, Civil Service Department 1972-74; Minister of State for Industry Information Technology 1981-84, His Cabinet posts included Secretary of State for the Environment 1985-86; for Education and Science 1986-89; the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1989-90; and Home Secretary 1990-92. He held the political position of Chairman of the Conservative Party 1989-90. He was raised to the peerage in 1997 and in the same year was awarded the Companion of Honour.
Lord Baker is Vice-Chairman of the Cartoon Museum. He has published several anthologies of poetry, his memoirs, The Turbulent Years, and books on caricatures. Kenneth Baker has edited several anthologies of poetry including The Faber Book of War Poetry, as well as books on political cartoons including The King and Queens: An Irreverent Cartoon History of the Monarchy and The Prime Ministers: An Irreverent Political History in Cartoons. George IV: A Life in Caricature was published in 2005; George III: A Life in Caricature, 2007; George Washington’s War in Caricature and Print, 2009; On the Seven Deadly Sins, 2018 and his most recent publication, On Assassinations, was published in 2020.
Through the Baker Dearing Educational Trust Lord Baker is spearheading the initiative for University Technical Colleges – 48 are already open.
Kenneth Baker is married with 1 son and 2 daughters.