Vernon Coaker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Coaker
Official portrait, 2017
Minister of State for Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	The Earl of Minto
Minister of State for Schools and Learners
In office 8 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Jim Knight
Succeeded by	Nick Gibb
Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Security
In office 3 October 2008 – 8 June 2009
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Tony McNulty
Succeeded by	David Hanson
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office 10 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Jim Murphy
Succeeded by	Alan Campbell
Shadow cabinet portfolios Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland In office 13 September 2015 – 26 June 2016 Leader Jeremy Corbyn Preceded by Ivan Lewis Succeeded by Dave Anderson In office 7 October 2011 – 7 October 2013 Leader Ed Miliband Preceded by Shaun Woodward Succeeded by Ivan Lewis Shadow Secretary of State for Defence In office 7 October 2013 – 13 September 2015 Leader Ed Miliband Harriet Harman (acting) Preceded by Jim Murphy Succeeded by Maria Eagle
Parliamentary offices Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal Life peerage 22 March 2021 Member of Parliament for Gedling In office 1 May 1997 – 6 November 2019 Preceded by Andrew Mitchell Succeeded by Tom Randall
Personal details
Born	Vernon Rodney Coaker (1953-06-17) 17 June 1953 (age 72) London, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jacqueline Heaton ​ (m. 1978)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Warwick Nottingham Trent University
Awards	Life peer

Vernon Rodney Coaker, also known as Baron Coaker, is a British politician. He was born on June 17, 1953. Since 2024, he has been a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence. He is a member of the Labour Party.

Before becoming a Baron, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Gedling. He held this role from 1997 until 2019. During his time as an MP, he served in various government and opposition roles. These included Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Security (2008-2009) and Minister of State for Schools and Learning (2009-2010). In opposition, he was a Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and for Northern Ireland. He lost his MP seat in the 2019 general election.

Early Life and Education

Vernon Coaker was born in Westminster, London. He went to Drayton Manor Grammar School in London. He then studied Economics and Politics at the University of Warwick. After that, he earned a teaching qualification from Trent Polytechnic.

Teaching Career

Before entering politics, Coaker worked as a teacher.

• From 1976 to 1982, he taught history at Manvers Pierrepont School.
• From 1982 to 1988, he was a head of department at Arnold Hill School.
• From 1989 to 1995, he was a senior teacher at Bramcote Park School.
• Until 1997, he was a deputy headmaster at Big Wood School in Bestwood, Nottingham.

He is also a member of the NUT.

Political Journey

Coaker started his political career as a district councillor. He represented the Cotgrave Ward in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, from 1983 to 1997. He led the Labour group on the council from 1987 to 1997.

He tried to become an MP for Rushcliffe in 1983. He also ran for the Gedling seat in 1987 and 1992. In the 1997 election, he won the Gedling seat. This made him the first Labour MP to represent Gedling.

Roles in Government

After holding several junior parliamentary roles, Coaker became a government whip in May 2005. He had been an assistant whip since June 2003. He then served as a minister of state at the Home Office from 2008 to 2009. After that, he became the Minister of State for Schools and Learning from 2009 to 2010.

Roles in Opposition

After the Labour Party lost the 2010 general election, Coaker was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in October 2011. He later resigned from his position in June 2016. This happened during a time when many Labour MPs were questioning the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. He supported Owen Smith in his attempt to become the Labour leader in 2016. Coaker lost his MP seat in the 2019 general election.

Becoming a Life Peer

In December 2020, it was announced that he would become a life peer. This nomination came from the Labour Party Leader, Keir Starmer. On March 22, 2021, he joined the House of Lords. His title is Baron Coaker, of Gedling in the County of Nottinghamshire. He gave his first speech in the House of Lords on May 17, 2021. He was later appointed as a spokesperson for Home Affairs and Defence.

Views on Key Issues

Coaker supports the modernisation of the UK Trident missile system. He also believes Britain should remain a member of NATO. He supports the idea of multilateral disarmament of nuclear weapons. This means many countries working together to reduce nuclear weapons. Coaker is also part of the Labour Friends of Israel group.

He supports people who take part in shooting sports and angling (fishing).

In January 2010, Coaker apologized for some information he had given to MPs. He had stated that many police officers were hurt during a protest. He later clarified that the number of serious injuries was much lower.

Personal Life

Vernon Coaker married Jacqueline Heaton on December 23, 1978, in Basford, Nottingham. They have a daughter and a son. He is a fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur. His wife is a teacher and was a town councillor in Cotgrave, where they live.

Awards and Recognition

• On July 23, 2020, he was given an Honorary Professorship of Modern Slavery Policy by the University of Nottingham.
• On June 17, 2022, he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Gedling.