Vernon Coaker

The Lord Coaker
Official portrait, 2017
Minister of State for Defence
Assumed office
8 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byThe Earl of Minto
Shadow Spokesperson for Home Affairs
In office
18 May 2021 – 6 July 2024
LeaderThe Baroness Smith of Basildon
Preceded byThe Lord Kennedy of Southwark
Shadow Spokesperson for Defence
In office
18 May 2021 – 6 July 2024
LeaderThe Baroness Smith of Basildon
Preceded byThe Lord Touhig
Minister of State for Schools and Learners
In office
8 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
Preceded byJim Knight
Succeeded byNick Gibb
Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Security
In office
3 October 2008 – 8 June 2009
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
Preceded byTony McNulty
Succeeded byDavid Hanson
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
10 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byJim Murphy
Succeeded byAlan Campbell
Shadow cabinet portfolios
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office
13 September 2015 – 26 June 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byIvan Lewis
Succeeded byDave Anderson
In office
7 October 2011 – 7 October 2013
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byShaun Woodward
Succeeded byIvan Lewis
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
In office
7 October 2013 – 13 September 2015
Leader
Preceded byJim Murphy
Succeeded byMaria Eagle
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Life peerage
22 March 2021
Member of Parliament
for Gedling
In office
1 May 1997 – 6 November 2019
Preceded byAndrew Mitchell
Succeeded byTom Randall
Personal details
Born
Vernon Rodney Coaker

(1953-06-17) 17 June 1953 (age 71)
London, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Jacqueline Heaton
(m. 1978)
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Warwick
Nottingham Trent University
Awards Life peer

Vernon Rodney Coaker, Baron Coaker (born 17 June 1953) is a British politician and life peer serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence since 2024.[1] A member of the Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Gedling from 1997 to 2019.

Coaker served in government as Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Security from 2008 to 2009, and Minister of State for Schools and Learning from 2009 to 2010. In opposition, he was Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 2013 to 2015 and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2011 to 2013, and again from 2015 to 2016. Coaker lost his seat at the 2019 general election.

  1. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 July 2024.