Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker releases pop single 'Piccadilly Circus'

 

Daisy Wyatt
Monday 18 March 2013 15:05 GMT
Comments
Lib Dem MP Norman Baker in the video for his single "Picadilly Circus"
Lib Dem MP Norman Baker in the video for his single "Picadilly Circus"

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Liberal Democrat junior transport minister Norman Baker has released a pop single with his band The Reform Club.

The 55-year-old MP for Lewes co-wrote the single “Piccadilly Circus” with his band mates.

He appears in the video for the song walking around the famous tourist hot spot in an open-necked shirt and black trilby.

The song does not obviously reference politics, aside from the lyric “Don’t get caught under flashing neon signs in recessionary times,” and a shot of a sign in the video that reads: “Jesus will soon come and sweep all politicians from power.”

“I wouldn’t write a song slagging off the prime minister. But I was never going to write about politics. That would be naff,” Baker told the Sunday Times.

Speaking on the Today Programme the junior transport minister said: “Music has always been very important to me. That’s what I like to do when I go home and switch off the day job.”

However, the Telegraph’s pop and rock critic Neil McCormick said on the show that the single shared the same opening chords from The Kinks' “Well Respected Man”, and told Baker “just because you can sing, doesn’t mean anyone else should have to listen.”

Baker has been a member of The Reform Club since the 1990s. He was elected Member of Parliament for Lewes in East Sussex in 1997, and was previously best known for his book The Strange Death of David Kelly.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in