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| Norman Baker reshuffle move defended by Lib Dems | Norman Baker reshuffle move defended by Lib Dems |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Lib Dems have defended Norman Baker's appointment as a Home Office minister, saying his views on the death of government scientist David Kelly in 2003 are irrelevant to the job. | The Lib Dems have defended Norman Baker's appointment as a Home Office minister, saying his views on the death of government scientist David Kelly in 2003 are irrelevant to the job. |
| As a backbench MP, Mr Baker claimed Mr Kelly was murdered and this may have been hushed up by the UK authorities. | |
| Home Secretary Theresa May is reported to be unhappy with his appointment. | Home Secretary Theresa May is reported to be unhappy with his appointment. |
| But Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander said Mr Baker had proved he could be trusted with sensitive information. | |
| Mr Baker's promotion from the Department of Transport, where he had been a minister for the past three years, to the Home Office, was a surprise feature of Monday's government reshuffle. | Mr Baker's promotion from the Department of Transport, where he had been a minister for the past three years, to the Home Office, was a surprise feature of Monday's government reshuffle. |
| He has replaced Jeremy Browne, previously regarded as one of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's closest allies. | He has replaced Jeremy Browne, previously regarded as one of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's closest allies. |
| In his new role as minister of state for crime prevention, Mr Baker will be responsible for policy on drugs, organised and violent crime and anti-social behaviour. | In his new role as minister of state for crime prevention, Mr Baker will be responsible for policy on drugs, organised and violent crime and anti-social behaviour. |
| In a 2006 book titled 'The Strange Death of David Kelly', Mr Baker claimed Dr Kelly had been killed by Iraqi dissidents opposed to Saddam Hussein and his murder may have been passed off as suicide by the British security services for "reasons of political expediency". | In a 2006 book titled 'The Strange Death of David Kelly', Mr Baker claimed Dr Kelly had been killed by Iraqi dissidents opposed to Saddam Hussein and his murder may have been passed off as suicide by the British security services for "reasons of political expediency". |
| The government weapons expert was found dead in an Oxfordshire wood after he was named as the source of claims about Iraq's weapons capability which triggered a furious row between the then Labour government and the BBC. | The government weapons expert was found dead in an Oxfordshire wood after he was named as the source of claims about Iraq's weapons capability which triggered a furious row between the then Labour government and the BBC. |
| Mr Baker spent six months investigating the circumstances of Dr Kelly's death, stepping down from his frontbench role at the time. He has maintained his calls for a fresh public inquiry. | Mr Baker spent six months investigating the circumstances of Dr Kelly's death, stepping down from his frontbench role at the time. He has maintained his calls for a fresh public inquiry. |
| 'Track record' | 'Track record' |
| The 2004 Hutton Inquiry concluded that Dr Kelly committed suicide. | The 2004 Hutton Inquiry concluded that Dr Kelly committed suicide. |
| A formal inquest has never been held but Attorney General Dominic Grieve has rejected calls for the case to be reopened, saying the evidence about the causes of death was "overwhelming". | A formal inquest has never been held but Attorney General Dominic Grieve has rejected calls for the case to be reopened, saying the evidence about the causes of death was "overwhelming". |
| Mr Alexander, one of the most senior Lib Dems in government, said his colleague's views on the death of Dr Kelly were "well explained" and he personally did not agree with them. | Mr Alexander, one of the most senior Lib Dems in government, said his colleague's views on the death of Dr Kelly were "well explained" and he personally did not agree with them. |
| But he added: "It is an excellent appointment. As we enter the last third of this government, there are a whole range of areas that we, as Liberal Democrats, need to sharpen our campaigning edge. | But he added: "It is an excellent appointment. As we enter the last third of this government, there are a whole range of areas that we, as Liberal Democrats, need to sharpen our campaigning edge. |
| "Home Office issues is one of those things." | |
| Mr Alexander told Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Baker deserved the opportunity to move to a more high-profile department after "doing a great job for the government and the Lib Dems" in his previous role. | |
| And he added: "He has shown himself to be an enormously effective minister of the Crown with access to all sorts of information in the Department for Transport. | |
| "He will be a great Home Office minister, with a great track record on civil liberties issues and standing up for the rights of people in this country and that is precisely what the Lib Dems need in the Home Office." | |
| 'Liberal imprint' | 'Liberal imprint' |
| One Lib Dem activist said Mr Baker's appointment was specifically designed to "annoy" the home secretary. | One Lib Dem activist said Mr Baker's appointment was specifically designed to "annoy" the home secretary. |
| The Lib Dem Voice website - which is read by party activists - quoted a source close to the party leadership as suggesting Mr Browne had failed to leave a "liberal imprint" during his time at the Home Office. | The Lib Dem Voice website - which is read by party activists - quoted a source close to the party leadership as suggesting Mr Browne had failed to leave a "liberal imprint" during his time at the Home Office. |
| Stephen Tall, the website's co-editor, said Mr Baker's appointment could also be explained by the party's "sluggish" response to the "Go Home Vans row" where billboards were driven around parts of the UK warning illegal immigrants to either leave the country voluntarily or face arrest. | Stephen Tall, the website's co-editor, said Mr Baker's appointment could also be explained by the party's "sluggish" response to the "Go Home Vans row" where billboards were driven around parts of the UK warning illegal immigrants to either leave the country voluntarily or face arrest. |
| The Lib Dems claimed they were not consulted about the policy, with Mr Browne saying he was away at the time. | The Lib Dems claimed they were not consulted about the policy, with Mr Browne saying he was away at the time. |
| But Mr Tall said Mr Browne had effectively been "sidelined" and that as an "instinctive libertarian", his successor was more likely to stand up for Lib Dem values in the department. | |
| "It's not that Nick Clegg expects Norman Baker to get more of an inside track on the Home Office than Jeremy Browne did, and be able to prevent Theresa May's authoritarian knee-jerk," Mr Tall added. | "It's not that Nick Clegg expects Norman Baker to get more of an inside track on the Home Office than Jeremy Browne did, and be able to prevent Theresa May's authoritarian knee-jerk," Mr Tall added. |
| "But he can rely on him to project a liberal message when the leader's away. | "But he can rely on him to project a liberal message when the leader's away. |
| "It's hard to see Norman's (appointment) as anything but a calculated move to seriously annoy the Home Office, and put clear yellow water between us and the Tories." | "It's hard to see Norman's (appointment) as anything but a calculated move to seriously annoy the Home Office, and put clear yellow water between us and the Tories." |