Steve Baker MP announces relaunch of Conservative Way Forward to ‘celebrate conservatism’

Steve Baker, the Conservative MP for Wycombe, has announced that he will relaunch the pressure group “Conservative Way Forward” in order to “celebrate conservatism, promote freedom under law [and] make the case for practical policies that prioritise personal responsibility”.

Baker has a history of managing successful rebellions against Conservative PMs. He was notably Chair of the “European Research Group” (ERG), a pro-Brexit group of Conservative MPs, until his promotion to ministerial office in June 2017. After resigning from government in July 2018, Baker rejoined the ERG as Deputy Chair. 

Speaking to Sky News’ “Trevor Phillips on Sunday”, Mr Baker said, “Today, I am announcing that I will be relaunching Conservative Way Forward, we need to create a movement that actually says the Conservative party needs to be what people traditionally would have recognised as Conservative, that is in favour of freedom and personal responsibility”.

Baker is a known opponent of lockdowns and what he sees as overbearing Coronavirus restrictions. In the same interview with Trevor Phillips, the former Brexit minister confirmed he will vote against the government’s so-called Plan B measures: “I will vote against vaccine passports, I will vote against extending the face mask mandate, I’ll vote against mandatory vaccinations, a condition of NHS employment”.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, last week, Baker stated that he was looking to form a group that could help the government “rediscover the kind of conservatism that cuts taxes, not raises them”. He added: “I’m looking at a party which is going in the wrong direction and I’m looking at building an organisation that will provide a vehicle to unleash the potential of the United Kingdom and redefine a free-market conservatism for the future”.

It appears that vehicle will be Conservative Way Forward.