A prominent British politician, born in 1969 in Scotland, she studied philosophy, politics, and economics at the British University of Oxford and the American University of Harvard. After returning to the United Kingdom, she worked for the Independent newspaper, then became involved in political work and joined the Labor Party.
In 1997, Cooper succeeded in obtaining a parliamentary seat for the Labor Party, and since then she has held a number of important ministerial positions, most notably the position of Secretary-General of the Treasury, the first woman to hold this position in British history.
With the Labor Party’s return to power, led by Keir Starmer, Cooper took over the Home Office and focused on security and immigration files, and in September 2025 she became Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary.
Birth and upbringing
Yvette Cooper was born on March 20, 1969 in the city of Inverness in northern Scotland, and grew up in the county of Hampshire in southeastern England after her family moved there.
Her father was the Secretary-General of a professional union in Britain, while her mother was a mathematics teacher.
In 1998, she married British politician Ed Balls, they had three children, and they became the first couple to work together in the British Cabinet.
Study and scientific training
Cooper received her primary and secondary education in British public schools and continued her undergraduate studies at Oxford University, specializing in philosophy, politics and economics, and obtained a bachelor’s degree with distinction.
In 1991, she joined Harvard University after winning the Kennedy Scholarship for outstanding British students.
She later returned to Britain and completed her graduate studies and obtained a master’s degree in economics from London College.
Professional and journalistic career
Cooper began her career early with practical experience away from the arena of politics, as she worked on a farm, an experience she said gave her valuable life experience and taught her self-reliance.
Later, she moved into the journalistic field, and worked as an editor in the economics section of the British newspaper The Independent, where she wrote a number of analytical articles specialized in economic affairs.
Political experience
Cooper began her political career in 1992, when she participated in the election campaign of the late US President Bill Clinton in the state of Arkansas, an experience that gave her practical knowledge of the mechanisms of political work and election campaigns.
After returning to Britain, she joined the Labor Party, worked in the office of the party’s leader at the time, John Smith, and then assumed the position of advisor to the prominent British politician Harriet Harman, one of the most influential women within the party.
Parliamentary and governmental process
In light of the political renaissance witnessed by the Labor Party during the era of Tony Blair, in April 1997, Cooper won a seat in the British Parliament to represent the party, and began a gradual political path in executive positions.
On October 11, 1999, she assumed the position of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health at the age of 30, becoming the youngest person to hold this position in the history of Britain, and she continued in it until May 28, 2002.
Later, she assumed the portfolio of the Ministry of Housing and Planning from May 10, 2005 until May 6, 2006, and launched the “Home Information Packs” project, which aims to simplify real estate sales transactions through mandatory information packages for buyers, but the project sparked widespread controversy and ended with its cancellation by the subsequent coalition government.
In January 2008, she assumed the position of Secretary-General of the British Treasury, the first woman to hold this position in the country’s history, and supervised government spending for all ministries.
Between June 6, 2009 and May 6, 2010, she took over the Ministry of Work and Pensions in the government of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Her positions in the shadow government
As Labor moved into the opposition after losing the general election in May 2010, Cooper continued her political activity in the shadow cabinet, serving in 2010 as Secretary for Work and Pensions, and between October 2010 and January 2011 as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Women and Equalities.
Later, between 2011 and 2015, she served as Minister of the Interior, and was one of the most prominent voices opposing the policies of the Conservative government, especially on issues of security, immigration, and asylum, and proposed reform alternatives within the Labor Party’s program.
She returned to the front ranks of the party when she was appointed again to the position of Minister of the Interior between 2021 and 2024, and then moved to the actual government after Keir Starmer returned to the presidency in July 2024.
During that period, Cooper focused on the issues of internal security and irregular immigration, and sought to develop cooperation with European Union countries in combating immigration, and succeeded in concluding cooperation agreements with France and Germany to regulate immigration and protect borders.
On 5 September 2025, Prime Minister Starmer reshuffled his cabinet, appointing Yvette Cooper as Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary, succeeding David Lammy.
Positions and statements
Cooper stressed that the government restored credibility to British foreign policy after 14 years of Conservative rule, stressing the adoption of firm positions towards international crises, including support for Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.
Regarding the issue of irregular migration, she highlighted the importance of international cooperation to confront smuggling networks and address the causes of asylum, stressing the United Kingdom’s efforts to reform the international asylum system and protect women in conflict areas such as Sudan and Myanmar.
As for the Palestinian issue, it affirmed its support for the two-state solution and considering the Gaza Strip as part of this solution, calling for transforming the ceasefire agreement into a “permanent and sustainable peace,” with the United Kingdom’s readiness to coordinate with the United States and other countries to ensure the implementation of the agreements and the provision of aid to the Palestinians.
She explained that the United Kingdom relies on diplomatic and peaceful solutions to address conflicts, while adhering to international laws and treaties.