Yvette Cooper, High Flying Shadow Home Secretary, Profiled
Published by cancreate on October 8, 2010 in International Relations-
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A Profile of the Woman who Topped the Shadow Cabinet Poll and who has now been given the role of Shadow Home Secretary following the resignation of Alan Johnson.
Yvette Cooper was born on 20th March 1969
She was born in Inverness, Scotland
Attended Eggars Comprehensive School, London Road, Holybourne, Near Alton
Awarded a Kennedy Scholarship in 1991 at Harvard University
Gained an MSc in Economics at London School of Economics
The couple married on 19th January 1998 in Eastbourne, East Sussex and have two daughters and a son.
Worked as a research associate for the “Centre For Economic Performance” in 1995.
Appointed Economics Editor for the Independent Newspaper.
Appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary Of State at the Department Of Helath
Moved to the Office Of Deputy Prime Minister
When James Purnell resigned she became Works and Pensions Secretary in 2009
The Guardian also said of her:
Conclusion
Yvette Cooper has a poor record on expenses as my profile of her highlights, she has also quite often looked “depressed and miserable” when I have tuned into the debates in the house. She should remember that people are viewing her on a 24 hour basis, with repeated debates on the channel. She has also refused to accept that the country was close to broke when the Labour Party lost power.
Her declining majority would suggest that she needs to pay more attention to her constituents with her majority continuing to decline since 1997.
On the positive side I have seen her performing in an articulate and persuasive manner and I have come to the conclusion that whilst I do not share her political persuasion, I believe she was the candidate that should have stood and probably would have won, but I do admire her loyalty to her husband in this regard.
I believe Yvette Cooper not only to be extremely clever and forward thinking, she is also an attractive woman who does not look her 41 years and surely she is well placed to take the Crown from Ed Miliband that destroyer of his brothers career, when he fails in May 2015. If she achieves that goal the Conservatives may have an Opposition Leader of considerable stature to contend with.
Acknowledgements to
Pontefract & Castleford Express
the Times
the Guardian
Image via Wikipedia
Bibliography
Yvette Cooper was born on 20th March 1969
She was born in Inverness, Scotland
Her father is Tony Cooper
She has been the MP for Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford since entering parliament in the days of “Blair Babes” in 1997.
Education
Attended Eggars Comprehensive School, London Road, Holybourne, Near Alton
Also Alton College
Balliol College, Oxford, where she gained a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, first class honours
Awarded a Kennedy Scholarship in 1991 at Harvard University
Gained an MSc in Economics at London School of Economics
She was Chairman of the British Nuclear Industry Forum and they described her as an “Articulate and well informed advocate of Nuclear Power.”
Personal
The couple married on 19th January 1998 in Eastbourne, East Sussex and have two daughters and a son.
Political Road Map
Began her career as economics researcher to John Smith, Shadow Chancellor, before becoming, Domestic Policy Specialist in Arkansaw for US Democratic candidate Bill Clinton.
Later in 1992 Policy advisor to the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Haeeiet Harman, MP, who was deputy chancellor to Gordon Brown, MP.
1994
Worked as a research associate for the “Centre For Economic Performance” in 1995.
Her Newspaper Hat
Appointed Economics Editor for the Independent Newspaper.
Government Progression
1999
Appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary Of State at the Department Of Helath
2003
Moved to the Office Of Deputy Prime Minister
2005
Promoted to Minister of State for Local government, now “The Department Of Communities and Local Government
2007
Promoted in Housing Minister after Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, she was responsible for introducing “Home Information Packs,” now scrapped under the new government. Mathew Paris, of The Times is reported to have said that “Her links to Brown shielded her from criticism.
What she has Said
2007
She said that one of Labour’s “Core Objectives” would be to strive for affordable housing right across the UK, otherwise the outcome would be that by 2026. That failure to act could result in real social inequality and first time buyers would be likely to need 10 times their salary to get on the housing ladder.
Cabinet Couple
Following Peter Hain’s resignation she became Chief secretary to the Treasury and therefore the first married couple to sit at the Cabinet table.
When James Purnell resigned she became Works and Pensions Secretary in 2009
EXPENSES
Despite being warned repeatedly by officials the couple flipped their home 3 times in a 24 month period. They bought a four bed house in North London and registered this as their second home, rather than their home in Castleford, West Yorkshire. This qualified the couple to £44,000 annually to help pay for a £438,000 mortgage, under the Commons Additional Costs Allowance. The couple’s overall ranking for their expenses is 142nd, but their Add on Costs ranking is 479th.
Constituency
Her Majority has dropped from in 1997 75.7% of the vote to 48.2% in May 2010, when the turnout was a low 56%.
Political Interests
Both her and her husband Ed Balls were said to have wanted the Chancellorship, as it is they both have high ranking positions, she the Shadow Foreign Secretary and he Shadow Home Secretary. Pontefract & Castleford Express had predicted that she would receive a top shadow role and they have been proved correct.
Of Her Appointment
The Guardian have quoted Tim Fallon, Co Chairman of the Parliamentary Party Committee for International Affairs as saying, “That the invasion of Iraq was the worst foreign policy mistake for a generation and yet Cooper is appointed to Shadow Foreign secretary, despite supporting a war that her new leader opposed.”
The Guardian also said of her:
“She is Razor sharp, leftish, collegiate and often brilliantly effective in the Commons and that challengers have found Cooper hard to break despite the Brown history and that she does not have her husbands ability of making enemies.”
Conclusion
Yvette Cooper has a poor record on expenses as my profile of her highlights, she has also quite often looked “depressed and miserable” when I have tuned into the debates in the house. She should remember that people are viewing her on a 24 hour basis, with repeated debates on the channel. She has also refused to accept that the country was close to broke when the Labour Party lost power.
Her declining majority would suggest that she needs to pay more attention to her constituents with her majority continuing to decline since 1997.
On the positive side I have seen her performing in an articulate and persuasive manner and I have come to the conclusion that whilst I do not share her political persuasion, I believe she was the candidate that should have stood and probably would have won, but I do admire her loyalty to her husband in this regard.
I believe Yvette Cooper not only to be extremely clever and forward thinking, she is also an attractive woman who does not look her 41 years and surely she is well placed to take the crown from Ed Miliband that destroyer of his brothers career, when he fails in May 2015. If she achieves that goal the Conservatives may have an Opposition Leader of considerable stature to contend with.
Acknowledgements to
Pontefract & Castleford Express
the Times
the Guardian
Image via Wikipedia
Great detailed article, I can see the amount of invested research. Thanks for sharing. =)