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Steve Baker was seen as a key Brexiteer on the backbenchers and was chair of the European Research Group. In a signal from the Prime Minister that she does not intend to back down on a hard Brexit, she appointed Mr Baker as parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Exiting the EU. Since last year's vote to leave the EU, Mr Baker has played an influential role in organising a group of eurosceptics within the Conservative Party opposed to any attempt to water down the terms of Britain's departure from the bloc. Earlier this year, Mr Baker said in an article posted on his website that Britain must seek a new and independent partnership with the EU, rejecting any kind of "associate membership, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out." His move to the Brexit department has been branded the “most significant” of this Cabinet reshuffle with commentators saying Mr Baker could have led a backbench coup.

PA•BBC Theresa May has made Steve Baker a Brexit minister

We need a good, clean exit which minimises disruption and maximises opportunity Steve Baker

Instead he now has a plum job at the Brexit department with just days to go before negotiations could begin. Ahead of his appointment, Mr Baker said: "We need a good, clean exit which minimises disruption and maximises opportunity. "In other words, we need the 'softest' exit consistent with actually leaving and controlling laws, money, borders and trade.”

The Wycombe MP has long been an advocate for Brexit, co-founding the Conservatives for Britain group campaigning for David Cameron to renegotiate with the EU or leave. Once described as a Tory rebel, in an interview with Politico in 2015 he said: “I want British law to be prime over European law. “I want us to have the freedom to trade with the whole world without that power lying with the European Union. I don’t believe in customs unions, I believe in free trade. “And thirdly I think the British public expects British migration policy to be made in London. And I want us to have power over our own borders.” Earlier this year the vocal Eurosceptic compiled a list of 27 Tory MPs who he claimed were thinking in favour of amendments to Mrs May’s Brexit bill. He has called for Britain to leave the single market and focus on building “a new system of free trade”. Mr Baker began his career in the RAF as an engineer before reading Computer Science at Oxford University. He has served as an MP since 2010, serving on the Transport Select committee, Treasury committee and the 1922 committee.

STEVE BAKER Steve Baker has been appointed as parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Brexit department

REUTERS David Davis's Brexit department has lost two of its four ministers in recent days

His appointment, in David Davis's Department for Exiting the European Union was announced as Theresa May made a series of ministerial appointments as part of a limited reshuffle following the General Election. It comes as Mr Davis’s most hardline Brexit minister David Jones was sacked to be replaced by Baroness Anelay, who is thought to be a Remainer. The Brexit department has lost two of its four ministers in recent days with Lord Bridges resigning at the weekend amid reports he would not work with Downing Street. Tory veteran Alistair Burt, a Remain supporter, returned to the Government after being left out of Mrs May's first administration.

Mr Burt will return to the Foreign Office, where he had previously been a minister from 2010 to 2013, in a joint capacity with the Department for International Development. But former Tesco executive Baroness Neville-Rolfe, who had been a junior Treasury minister, has left the Government. Brexit negotiations were expected to start on Monday but uncertainty over the date of the Queen’s speech as Mrs May attempts to prop up her minority government with the DUP has thrown the beginning of talks into doubt. The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator has hit out at the "uncertainty" over Mrs May's approach to leaving the EU.

Brexit Negotiations: Britain's sternest enemies Tue, April 4, 2017 According to a new index, the EU27 countries fall into three groups: hard-core, hard and soft. These are the countries with the highest scores which indicate a fairly strong opposition to Britain’s position Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 7 France has the highest score in the index at 32.5