Norman Baker quit as a Home Office minister today – mainly because of his frustrations with the department, but partly so he could spend more time pursuing his passion for music. The 57-year-old is lead singer of a band called The Reform Club, which is about to release its second album. The Liberal Democrat is not the first politician to dabble in rock and roll. Here are six politicians showing off their music skills:
Vladimir Putin
In 2010, the Russian President took a break from his macho expeditions – such as judo and shirtless horse riding – to sing a gentle rendition of Blueberry Hill at a children’s charity dinner in St Petersburg. Audience members, including Sharon Stone and Kevin Costner, clapped and swayed as he sang in heavily-accented English. "Like an overwhelming majority of people, I can neither sing nor play," he told them, "but I very much like doing it."
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Lembit Opik
Perhaps it was the days of dating Gabriela Irimia from The Cheeky Girls that inspired Lembit Opik to star in a music video of his own. Two years after losing his seat at the 2010 general election, the Liberal Democrat agreed to mime a song by unsigned band The Good Suns in a peculiar pop video filmed on a rooftop in Greenwich. The former MP shows off some epic Dad-moves, interspersed with bizarre scenes where he argues on his phone, hides behind a potted plant and tries out his own special type of Parkour.
Norman Baker
The Lib Dem MP has been in The Reform Club since the 1990s. Last year, the band released a single called Piccadilly Circus, a cheerful pop song with a hint of The Kinks and lyrics such as: "London Bridge is falling down / Zombie tourists flock into town / Buying plastic policeman." The Sunday Times says Baker sounds "a little like Ringo Starr", but even he admits the band is unlikely to get chased by huge numbers of fans.
Barack Obama
Even the President of the United States cannot help breaking into song from time to time. Barack Obama gave America a snippet of his vocal skills at a fundraiser at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem two years ago. He thanked R&B star Al Green for warming up the crowd before singing a line of Let's Stay Together. The crowd cheered wildly as he crooned: "Ahhhhm... so in love with you." Green later told TMZ he thought the president "nailed it".
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton was no exception either. He was invited to join Israeli singer Liel Kolet on stage at Shimon Peres’s 80th birthday in 2003, where they performed John Lennon’s Imagine with a group of Israeli and Arab children. The US news website Salon suggested the president was a bit rusty on the lyrics but gave him credit for trying. "You have to love the chutzpah required to stand in front of thousands and warble out a song you barely know."
Michael Gove
Earlier this year Michael Gove, then education secretary, performed the Wham! rap to a group of school children. A week after the minister professed his love for 'chap hop' star Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, one school girl asked for a taster of his favourite rap song. With barely a pause, Gove duly obliged with what he termed "quite a vanilla rap" by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.
