Claire Baker

Claire Josephine Baker (née Brennan; born 4 March 1971) is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2007.

Early life and career Claire Baker was born on 4 March 1971 in Dunfermline to Margaret (née Edgar) and James Brennan. She grew up in Kelty, and attended primary and secondary schools in Fife. 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. She contested the constituency seat of Kirkcaldy but was returned to Parliament as a regional list member for Mid Scotland and Fife again.

In 2011 she was Labour's Shadow Minister for Education in the Scottish Parliament 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), Culture, Europe and External Affairs (2014–2015), and Democracy (covering "constitution, Europe, culture and power in society") (2015–2016). Having served as Scottish Labour's spokesperson on Justice, Baker is currently Shadow Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs.

Baker nominated Anas Sarwar in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.

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.

She was re-elected list MSP in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

Personal life In 2004 she married Richard Baker, who was formerly an MSP for North East Scotland. The couple have one daughter. In 1998, Baker published a Critical Guide to the Poetry of Sylvia Plath.