Junior ministerial offices

Minister of State
2005–2008	Housing and Planning
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
2003–2005	Regeneration and Regional Development
2002–2003	Lord Chancellor's Department
1999–2002	Public Health

Shadow cabinet portfolios

2021–2024	Shadow Home Secretary
2011–2015	Home Secretary
2010–2013	Women and Equalities
2010–2011	Shadow Foreign Secretary
2010–2010	Work and Pensions

Member of Parliament
for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Normanton, Pontefract
and Castleford (2010–2024)
Pontefract and Castleford (1997–2010)

Incumbent

Assumed office
1 May 1997

Preceded by

Geoffrey Lofthouse

Majority

6,630 (18.4%)

Personal details

Born

20 March 1969 (age 56)
Inverness, Scotland

Political party

Labour

Spouse

Ed Balls

(m. 1998)

Children

Parent

Tony Cooper (father)

Education

Signature

Yvette Cooper, born on March 20, 1969, is an important British politician. She is currently the Foreign Secretary for the UK, a role she started in September 2025. Before this, she was the Home Secretary from 2024 to September 2025.

As a member of the Labour Party, Yvette Cooper has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1997. An MP is someone elected by people in their local area to represent them in the UK Parliament. She represents the area of Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley.

Throughout her career, Yvette Cooper has held many significant roles in government. She worked under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. She was also part of the "Shadow Cabinet," which is a group of opposition MPs who challenge the government.

In 2024, after the Labour Party won the general election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed her as Home Secretary. She then became Foreign Secretary in September 2025. Yvette Cooper is the first woman in British history to have held both of these very important jobs.

About Yvette Cooper's Early Life and Education
- Starting Her Career Journey
Yvette Cooper's Time in Parliament
Yvette Cooper's Personal Life
See also

About Yvette Cooper's Early Life and Education

Yvette Cooper was born in Inverness, Scotland, on March 20, 1969. Her father, Tony Cooper, was a leader in a trade union and advised the government on energy. Her mother, June, was a maths teacher.

Yvette went to school at Eggar's School and Alton College in Hampshire. She then studied philosophy, politics and economics at Balliol College, Oxford, where she earned a top degree. She also studied at Harvard University in the United States and later earned a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics.

Starting Her Career Journey

Yvette Cooper started her career in 1990, researching economic policies for a politician named John Smith. She even worked in the United States for Bill Clinton during his presidential campaign in 1992. After that, she advised another politician, Harriet Harman, on policy.

When she was 24, Yvette Cooper became unwell with chronic fatigue syndrome and took a year to get better. Later, she worked as a researcher and then became a main economics reporter for The Independent newspaper. She stayed there until she was elected to Parliament in 1997.

Yvette Cooper's Time in Parliament

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1997, Yvette Cooper was chosen by the Labour Party to run for election in the area of Pontefract and Castleford. She won the election and became an MP. Her first speech in Parliament was about helping people in her area find jobs. She also worked on a committee focused on education and employment.

Working in Government Roles

From 1999 to 2010, Yvette Cooper held several important jobs in the government under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

She worked in the Department of Health, helping with programs like Sure Start which supports young children and families. She was also the first British minister to take maternity leave.
She helped with projects to improve areas that used to have coal mines.
She became the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, focusing on housing issues. She talked about the need for more affordable homes across the country.
In 2008, she became the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, helping manage the country's money. She was the first woman to hold this role. Her husband, Ed Balls, was also a minister, making them the first married couple to serve in the Cabinet at the same time.
In 2009, she became the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In this role, she worked on policies related to jobs and support for people.

Cooper as Minister for Housing in 2007

Rules for MPs' Expenses

In 2009, there was a review of how MPs claimed expenses for their homes. Yvette Cooper and her husband, Ed Balls, were part of this review. An official investigation found that they had followed the rules and were not trying to make money unfairly. However, like many other MPs, they were asked to repay a small amount of money due to overpayments related to their mortgage. They repaid this amount.

Working in the Shadow Cabinet

After the 2010 general election, Yvette Cooper was re-elected as an MP for a new area, Normanton, Pontefract, and Castleford. When the Labour Party was not in government, she joined the "Shadow Cabinet." This group of opposition MPs checks the work of government ministers.

She first became the Shadow Foreign Secretary, speaking for the Labour Party on international matters.
Later, she became the Shadow Home Secretary, focusing on issues like policing and national security. Her husband, Ed Balls, also held a senior role in the Shadow Cabinet at this time.
She also served as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, working on fairness for everyone.

MP portrait, 2017

As Shadow Home Secretary

As Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper kept a close eye on the government's work in areas like law and order. She spoke out on various issues, including:

Suggesting a new role to help tackle domestic violence.
Highlighting concerns about how some migrant workers were treated.
Criticizing government plans that she believed would make it harder for working parents to support their children.

She was recognized as one of the most influential women in the UK during this time.

Running for Labour Party Leader

After the 2015 general election, Yvette Cooper was re-elected as an MP. When the leader of the Labour Party stepped down, she decided to run to become the new leader. During her campaign, she talked about her ideas for the country. These included:

Creating more skilled jobs in manufacturing.
Ensuring social care workers earned a living wage.
Building many new homes each year.

She received support from many people, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. She came third in the election.

Cooper speaking at the 2016 Labour Party Conference

Working as a Backbencher

After the leadership election, Yvette Cooper became a "backbencher." This means she was still an MP but didn't hold a top government or Shadow Cabinet job.

She focused on helping with the European refugee crisis, working to find good ways to support refugees.
In 2016, she was chosen to lead the Home Affairs Select Committee. This committee looks closely at the work of the Home Office, which deals with things like policing and immigration.
As chair, she looked into public opinions on immigration. She also spoke out about a program for child refugees.
She was re-elected as an MP in both the 2017 and 2019 general elections.

$Yvette Cooper Tracy Brabin in Pontefract$

Yvette Cooper campaigning with Tracy Brabin in Pontefract in 2021

Her Role in Brexit Discussions

During the time the UK was leaving the European Union, known as Brexit, Yvette Cooper played an active role. She worked to prevent a "no-deal" Brexit, which meant leaving without an agreement. She introduced a special bill in Parliament that helped ensure a smoother process for the UK's departure.

Back in the Shadow Cabinet

In November 2021, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, asked Yvette Cooper to become the Shadow Home Secretary again. In this role, she continued to oversee the government's actions on national security and law enforcement. She also spoke about the importance of ministers following rules for handling sensitive information.

MP portrait, 2019

Serving as Home Secretary (2024-2025)

In July 2024, after the Labour Party won the general election, Yvette Cooper was appointed Home Secretary by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This is a very important job, responsible for national security, policing, and immigration.

One of her first actions was to create a new Border Security Command. This team works to manage borders and stop illegal crossings.
She responded to a serious incident in Southport in 2024, where she visited the community and later announced a public inquiry to find answers about what happened. She also worked with the Prime Minister to review laws related to extreme violence.
She introduced new laws to strengthen border security and manage asylum claims. These plans aimed to make the system fairer and more effective.

Cooper with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the 92nd Interpol General Assembly, 4 November 2024

Becoming Foreign Secretary (2025-Present)

Ed Balls

On September 5, 2025, Yvette Cooper was appointed Foreign Secretary. In this role, she represents the UK on the world stage, working with other countries on international issues. This is one of the most senior positions in the government.

Yvette Cooper's Personal Life

Yvette Cooper married fellow politician Ed Balls on January 10, 1998. Ed Balls has also held important roles in government and in the Shadow Cabinet. They have three children together.

She has written two books: She Speaks: The Power of Women's Voices and She Speaks: Women's Speeches That Changed the World, from Pankhurst to Greta.

Yvette Cooper facts for kids

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