Vernon Coaker
 Lord Coaker  | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 17 June 1953 |
| Alma mater | University of Warwick, Nottingham Trent University |
Vernon Rodney Coaker, Baron Coaker is a British politician and life peer who has been Shadow Spokesperson for Home Affairs and Defence since 2021. A member of the Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Gedling from 1997 to 2019.
Contents
In and out of government
Vernon Coaker was 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. Vernon Coaker lost his seat at the UK/2019 General Election.
Parliamentary expenses
Vernon Coaker was one of a dozen MPs in Labour's shadow cabinet who claimed thousands of pounds in Parliamentary expenses without submitting any receipts. In 2004, Coaker claimed up to £225 a month to clean his semi-detached home in Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire. He also claimed up to £230 a month for services and £230 for repairs. However, in 2005, he “flipped” to start claiming on his London property. He then claimed up to £190 a month to clean a one-bedroom flat in Kennington, south London.[1]
Anti-Corbyn
In June 2016 Vernon Coaker resigned from the shadow cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn. Having struggled with serving in Corbyn’s team, he told journalists that he felt obliged to join the shadow cabinet so that he could argue from the “centre” of the party.[2]
Public Order Bill
On 14 June 2023, The Daily Politik reported:
- Lord Coaker - "Labour will abstain on the fatal motion.... we will not block the bill... "
- Straight from the horses mouth. Labour will not block the wishes of the conservative government and vote against their Public Order Bill, which makes protesting - a basic human right in a supposed democracy - illegal.
- Lord Coaker is saying if people want to see the back of the anti-democratic bill, they must vote Labour at the next election. But will Labour stick by their word after breaking almost every promise/pledge they have made since 2020?
- Keir Starmer himself has said on LBC that **even if Labour are elected at the next General Election, they will STILL not repeal the Public Order Act.**
- Starmer said he would prefer to see it "bed in" and see how effective it is. Give the police a chance to use their legal anti-democratic powers and see how they go. He says. People should trust what's been proven repeatedly to be one of the most corrupt police forces in the western world, to side with the public over the government who fund it. It’s obvious that Starmer simply wants the power to block protests against HIS government, if he wins the next election - which does not bode well. It means he is expecting major protests against some of the legislation his Labour government would bring in. Perhaps around the future of the NHS?
- The bill will be effective in blocking protest - that is the point of it - so it's clear Labour **support** the removal of our basic human and democratic right to voice our opposition to various government action and policy. Labour are clearly planning to be just as authoritarian as the Tories. so what's the point in voting for either major party?
- It was a Green Party motion to kill the Public Order Bill that the Labour Party abstained on yesterday. They are seemingly the only party in Westminster who still support Britain's retaining our basic human rights. The same rights most people enjoy right across the world. Rights the UK once championed. Rights the Labour Party once fought for - no longer.[3]
References
This page imported content from Wikipedia on 14 June 2023.Wikipedia is not affiliated with Wikispooks. Original page source here
