Yvette Cooper

Yvette Cooper (born 20 March 1969) is a British politician who is currently the Foreign Secretary since 5 September 2025. Before, she was the Home Secretary from 5 July 2024 until 2025.^[1]

The Right Honourable Yvette Cooper MP
Official portrait, 2025
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 September 2025
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	David Lammy
Secretary of State for the Home Department
In office 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	James Cleverly
Succeeded by	Shabana Mahmood
Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee
In office 19 October 2016 – 1 December 2021
Preceded by	Keith Vaz
Succeeded by	Diana Johnson
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office 5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	James Purnell
Succeeded by	Iain Duncan Smith
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office 24 January 2008 – 5 June 2009
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Andy Burnham
Succeeded by	Liam Byrne
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	(1969-03-20) 20 March 1969 (age 56) Inverness, Scotland
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Ed Balls ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	3
Parents	Tony Cooper (father)
Education	Balliol College, Oxford (BA) Harvard University London School of Economics (MSc)
Website	www.yvettecooper.com

Cooper is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford constituency in the United Kingdom. She is a member of the Labour Party. Her husband, Ed Balls, represents the neighbouring constituency of Morley and Outwood.

She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010 under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. She was Chief Secretary to the Treasury and then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. After Labour lost the 2010 general election, Cooper was appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary, then in 2011 Shadow Home Secretary.^[2]