Rising Again: Yvette Cooper’s Journey from New Labour Star to Potential Home Secretary Under Keir Starmer

Yvette Cooper: Key Insights on the Possible Next Home Secretary

Once a prominent figure in the New Labour era, Ms. Cooper found herself on the sidelines during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. Now, she is poised to assume a crucial position should Sir Keir Starmer lead the upcoming administration.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 7:

Once a prominent figure in the New Labour era, Yvette Cooper found herself out of the spotlight during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. Recently, however, she has made a swift comeback to prominent positions within the party.

Yvette Cooper entered Parliament during the significant Labour victory in 1997, after the former seat holder was moved aside to make her election to the Commons more straightforward.

Ever since her appointment, she has held the distinguished position of the first woman to serve as chief secretary to the Treasury, promoting what she describes as a "feminist approach to economics."

However, her time in the opposition has been fraught with challenges, especially after being demoted to a lesser role during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, possibly due to her outspoken critiques of him.

In her latest position as the shadow home secretary serving under Sir Keir Starmer, she has committed to leading a proactive Home Office dedicated to reducing crime levels.

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Yvette Cooper is also widely recognized due to her union with Ed Balls, who was a key advisor and trusted ally to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Cooper and Balls tied the knot in 1998, quickly rising to become a prominent power couple. Their partnership marked the first time a married couple both held positions in the government's cabinet simultaneously. They are parents to three children.

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A family with a flawless history in the Labour Party

Ms. Cooper was born in 1969 in Inverness, Scotland, but she grew up in the lush, green surroundings of Hampshire in the South East of England.

She grew up in a family committed to the Labour movement—her father led a union, while her mother, originally from a mining town, taught mathematics.

Ms. Cooper has often shared that the unionist principles of her father, which she embraced during marches in the early 1980s, have continued to influence her throughout her political journey.

Initial Foray into Politics: 'I Led a Strike Among the Prefects'

Ms. Cooper was educated at public state schools during her childhood, where she developed an interest in politics, sparked by a debate concerning "white socks."

She remembers feeling a strong sense of "injustice" when she saw a male prefect arrive at school in white socks.

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She decided to remove his prefect badge and instructed him to go to the headmaster with their requests.

The ideal resume for a seasoned political figure

Ms. Cooper pursued her higher education at Oxford University, where she studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), earning a first-class degree in

In 1991, she received a Kennedy Scholarship to pursue her studies at Harvard University.

She completed her Master of Science in Economics at the London School of Economics.

Diverse Initial Professional Experience

Ms. Cooper initially worked on a farm where she harvested strawberries and operated a tractor.

She subsequently pursued a career in journalism, becoming the principal author of a financial column for The Independent.

'I never imagined I would become a Member of Parliament'

In 1992, in the state of Arkansas, Ms. Cooper began her political career by contributing to Bill Clinton's victorious presidential campaign.

Simultaneously, she held a position in the office of the former Labour leader John Smith, serving as an economic researcher.

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In 1997, at the age of 28, Ms. Cooper was selected as the candidate for the Pontefract and Castleford constituency, where she secured a victory by a margin of 25,725 votes.

The constituency has consistently been a secure one in Yorkshire, though it was rebranded as Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford in 2010. During the 2019 general election, the margin by which she won shrank to only 1,276 votes.

Duration Spent in the British Parliament's Lower

Ms. Cooper swiftly advanced within the Labour Party, earning her initial role as a parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Health in 1999.

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Ms. Cooper subsequently occupied various lower-level governmental positions during Tony Blair’s administration.

In 2001, she broke new ground as the first minister to take maternity leave, a move that attracted some negative attention and derogatory comments, including being labeled "the Minister for Maternity Leave."

In 2008, she broke new ground as the first female chief secretary to the Treasury, focusing on how the recession disproportionately affected women.

Following her party's loss in the 2010 elections, she secured the highest number of votes among Labour MPs in the shadow cabinet elections, subsequently assuming the position of shadow home secretary.

A turbulent period for the dissenting

Ms. Cooper experienced a challenging period in the opposition when she was demoted to a lesser role during Jeremy Corbyn's tenure.

In 2015, she competed for the Labour Party's leadership position against Mr. Corbyn, following Ed Miliband's decision to step down.

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She criticized Mr. Corbyn, the sole leftist candidate, for promoting "poor economic strategies" and proposing policies that lacked credibility.

She secured third place, receiving 17% of the total votes.

Sir Keir Starmer elevates her to a prominent front-line position once more

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Following Sir Keir's election as the head of the Labour Party, Ms. Cooper witnessed a shift in the party's atmosphere and was subsequently reinstated to a prominent position.

Ms. Cooper has been serving as the shadow secretary of state for the Home Department since 2021.

In her position, she has introduced a "five-part strategy" for her team:

Ms. Cooper has stated her intention to actively manage the Home Office and concentrate on reducing crime should she be elected.

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