Vernon Coaker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Coaker
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Minister of State for Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 8 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | The Earl of Minto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Spokesperson for Home Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 18 May 2021 – 5 July 2024 |
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| Leader | The Baroness Smith of Basildon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | The Lord Kennedy of Southwark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Spokesperson for Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 18 May 2021 – 5 July 2024 |
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| Leader | The Baroness Smith of Basildon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | The Lord Touhig | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of State for Schools and Learners | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 June 2009 – 11 May 2010 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jim Murphy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alan Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Vernon Rodney Coaker
17 June 1953 London, England |
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| Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Jacqueline Heaton
(m. 1978) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Warwick Nottingham Trent University |
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| Awards |  Life peer |
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Vernon Rodney Coaker, Baron Coaker (born 17 June 1953) is a British politician. He is a life peer, which means he has a special title for life. Since 2024, he has been a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.
Lord Coaker is a member of the Labour Party. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Gedling from 1997 to 2019. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament.
He worked in government as a Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Security from 2008 to 2009. He was also Minister of State for Schools and Learning from 2009 to 2010. When his party was not in power, he was a "Shadow Secretary of State." This means he was the main spokesperson for his party on certain topics. He was Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 2013 to 2015. He also held the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2011 to 2013, and again from 2015 to 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vernon Coaker was born in Westminster, London. He went to Drayton Manor Grammar School in London. After school, he studied Economics and Politics at the University of Warwick. He then earned a teaching qualification (called a PGCE) at Trent Polytechnic.
Teaching Career
Before becoming a politician, Vernon Coaker was 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, which is a union for teachers.
Political Journey
Vernon Coaker started his political career as a local councillor.
- From 1983 to 1997, he was a district councillor for the Cotgrave Ward in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire.
- 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 1997, he won the Gedling seat, becoming the first Labour MP for that area.
Roles in Government
After becoming an MP, Coaker held several important roles:
- In May 2005, he became a government whip. A whip helps make sure members of their party vote together.
- From 2008 to 2009, he was a Minister of State at the Home Office.
- From 2009 to 2010, he served as Minister of State for Schools and Learning.
Roles in Opposition
When the Labour Party was not in power, Coaker took on "shadow" roles:
- In October 2011, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
- In June 2016, he resigned from his position along with many other shadow ministers. This happened during a time of disagreement within the Labour Party about its leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
- He supported Owen Smith in his attempt to become the leader of the Labour Party in 2016.
- He lost his seat as an MP in the 2019 general election.
Becoming a Life Peer
In December 2020, it was announced that Vernon Coaker would become a life peer. This special title was given to him after a suggestion from the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer. On 22 March 2021, he joined the House of Lords as Baron Coaker, of Gedling. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. He gave his first speech there on 17 May 2021. Later, he became a spokesperson for Home Affairs and Defence in the House of Lords.
Political Views
Vernon Coaker has clear views on several important topics:
- He supports updating the UK Trident missile system. This is Britain's nuclear defence system.
- He believes Britain should remain a member of NATO, a military alliance.
- He supports the idea of multilateral disarmament of nuclear weapons. This means many countries working together to reduce their nuclear weapons.
- He is part of the Labour Friends of Israel group.
- He also supports people who enjoy shooting sports and angling (fishing).
In January 2010, Coaker apologized for some comments he made to MPs. He had said that 70 police officers were hurt during a protest. It turned out that only 12 injuries were officially reported. These included minor things like a "wasp sting" or an injury from "sun and heat."
Personal Life
Vernon Coaker married Jacqueline Heaton on 23 December 1978. They have a daughter and a son. He is a fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur. His wife, Jacqueline, is a teacher and was also a town councillor in Cotgrave, where they live.
Awards and Recognition
Vernon Coaker has received several honours:
- On 23 July 2020, he was given an Honorary Professorship of Modern Slavery Policy by the University of Nottingham.
- On 17 June 2022, he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Gedling.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2017
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The coronet of a British Baron
