The Lord Coaker
Labour
Member of the House of Lords
M
Lord Coaker's full title is The Lord Coaker. His name is Vernon Rodney Coaker, and he is a current member of the House of Lords.
Allowance claims · 2026
Data not yet released for 2026 — the Lords Finance Office publishes monthly CSVs ~6-8 weeks after month-end.
Ministerial activity
Records on file
21
3 meetings ·
0 hospitality ·
0 gifts ·
18 overseas trips
· 2024-01-01 → 2025-12-31
Total overseas travel cost
£205,393
Recent meetings
| Date | Met with | Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-16 | Chinook Justice Campaign | Engagement with bereaved families group | ministry-of-defence |
| 2025-11-19 | Progressive Policy Institute | Discussion on Ukraine policy | ministry-of-defence |
| 2025-10-23 | NATO Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Conference | Promote His Majesty's Government's message on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear threats | ministry-of-defence |
Recent overseas travel
| Dates | Destination | Purpose | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-01 → 2025-12-05 |
Ashgabat; Turkmenistan, Baku; Azerbaijan, Yerevan; Armenia
RAF flight
|
Advance bilateral defence cooperation and opportunities | £32,953 |
| 2025-10-06 → 2025-10-09 |
Washington DC; US
Scheduled flight
|
Engagement with US counterparts | £4,366 |
| 2025-09-28 → 2025-09-30 |
Warsaw; Poland
Scheduled flight
|
Attend the Warsaw Security Forum on behalf of His Majesty's Government | £535 |
| 2025-09-21 → 2025-09-21 |
Arnhem; The Netherlands
Scheduled flight
|
Commemorate the anniversary of Op MARKET GARDEN | £211 |
| 2025-09-15 → 2025-09-17 |
Manila; Philippines
Scheduled flight
|
Attend HIGHMAST engagements to advance UK-PH relationship and commercial collaboration | £5,867 |
| 2025-06-22 → 2025-06-27 |
Singapore; Republic of Singapore, Jakarta; Indonesia
Scheduled flight
|
Defence Diplomacy | £13,780 |
| 2025-05-19 → 2025-05-20 |
Singapore; Republic of Singapore, Jakarta; Indonesia
Scheduled flight
|
Conference Attendance | £14,152 |
| 2025-05-13 → 2025-05-17 |
Tashkent; Uzbekistan, Dushanbe; Tajikistan
Scheduled flight
|
Defence Diplomacy | £6,427 |
| 2025-02-09 → 2025-02-12 |
Bengaluru; India
Scheduled flight
|
Attending the Indian Defence Expo | £16,281 |
| 2025-01-21 → 2025-01-25 |
Abuja; Nigeria, Maiduguri; Nigeria
Scheduled flight
|
Meeting with Nigerian Defence minister and MOD Forces in country | £4,240 |
| 2024-11-30 → 2024-12-06 |
Santiago; Chile, Brasilia; Brazil, Rio; Brazil
Scheduled Flight
|
Visit Chile to co-Chair the UK Chile Ministerial Strategic Dialogue and attend Latin Americas naval trade show EXPONAVAL. Bilateral with counterparts in Brazil | £9,232 |
| 2024-11-25 → 2024-11-25 |
The Hague; The Netherlands
Scheduled Flight
|
Visit the National Address at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and bilateral discussions with key partners | £612 |
| 2024-11-20 → 2024-11-20 |
Copenhagen; Denmark
RAF Flight
|
Attend the bi-annual ministerial meeting of The Northern Group | £5,684 |
| 2024-11-07 → 2024-11-08 |
Sarajevo; Bosnia
RAF Flight
|
Build relations and show support to our key global allies | £14,759 |
| 2024-09-21 → 2024-09-21 |
Arnhem; Netherlands
Scheduled Flight
|
Ceremonial event for the 80th anniversary of Operation MARKET GARDEN and the Dutch liberation | £33,284 |
| 2024-09-04 → 2024-09-06 |
Hanoi; Vietnam
Scheduled Flight
|
Bilateral Engagements and Meetings | £12,648 |
| 2024-09-01 → 2024-09-03 |
Kuala Lupur; Malaysia
Scheduled Flight
|
Regional Engagement and Conference Attendence | £30,361 |
| 2024-07-31 → 2024-08-02 |
Warsaw; Poland
RAF Flight
|
80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising | — |
Source: gov.uk ministerial transparency returns. Coverage:
HM Treasury and DSIT. Published quarterly under the Ministerial
Code; refreshed monthly on the 7th.
Lords votes · 2026
162 divisions
5 Content(3.1%)
128 Not-Content(79.0%)
29 didn't vote(17.9%)
2026-06-09
Not-Content
13–66
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
27–89
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
30–130
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
46–117
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
135–154
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
65–173
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
178–231
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
69–332
Not-Content
2026-03-26
Not-Content
115–197
Not-Content
2026-03-26
Not-Content
64–140
Not-Content
2026-03-25
Not-Content
95–137
Not-Content
2026-03-24
Not-Content
70–132
Not-Content
2026-03-24
Not-Content
80–166
Not-Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
193–143
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
194–140
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
198–139
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
208–142
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
214–142
Content
2026-02-04
Not-Content
62–295
Not-Content
2026-01-12
Not-Content
201–169
Content
2026-01-05
Not-Content
131–127
Content
2026-01-05
Not-Content
194–130
Content
2026-01-05
Not-Content
168–178
Not-Content
2026-01-05
Not-Content
210–131
Content
2026-01-05
Not-Content
132–124
Content
Source: lordsvotes-api.parliament.uk. "Result" shows the headline
Content vs Not-Content tally (including tellers). The Lords doesn't
publish a "didn't vote" attendance roll like the Commons, so the
figure above conflates absence with abstention.
Recent Hansard contributions · latest 25
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
It is not a question of resources. Where a sanctioned vessel is identified as having a false flag—to answer the point made by the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig—it is about understanding what its registration is or is not. When that is done, we get t
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
The legal basis is that the ship was falsely flagged. As such, it loses some of the protections that it would have were it to be properly and legally flagged according to the rules that operate in the maritime environment. Also, the Attorney-General made
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
The noble Baroness makes a very important point. On what we may or may not do, we work very closely with all our allies, of course, including Denmark, but the noble Baroness makes a broader point about the importance of JEF and its work. In JEF, both in
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
My understanding from the briefing that I had is that the action took place in international waters, and then it was brought back into UK territorial waters. An important point to make, just as a statement, is that the English Channel, although called th
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
Clearly, we work with our international allies and colleagues, whether it be in Scandinavia or anywhere else in Europe, essentially to deal with the sort of issue that the noble and learned Lord has raised. However, he will know that the UK is sending it
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
The noble Lord will not expect me to say too much on, as I understand it, an ongoing incident that clearly is potentially very serious, as I do not know the full facts of what has happened. I know it has been reported; I have just found out about it thr
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
I shall make a solemn commitment to the noble and learned Baroness, who is one of the most esteemed Members of this House. It will no doubt be noted by many of those who support me in my ministerial role that I am making a solemn parliamentary commitment
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
I have not got that in my briefing, but it is important to recognise the contribution that many have made through the ages, which is reflected in their families and their descendants today, and I take the noble Lord’s point. Alongside that, it is importa
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
I am sorry to have been such a disappointment to the noble Lord, Lord Clarke. I cannot really do any better. It is the law and the way the country has operated for many decades, including when the noble Lord was a senior Minister. The Department for Tran
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
I thank my noble friend for his question. He is right to point out that this is an important action by the Government, but it has to be seen alongside all the various other actions that were taken, which I know are supported by all noble Lords in this Ho
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
Without going into the criteria, which would benefit only those who seek to circumvent the work we are trying to do, all I can say to the noble Lord—he will know this from his own experience—is that I receive advice from people who are much more qualifie
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
The noble Lord is right to raise that. Let us be clear that the Department for Transport will ensure that the way in which the oil is dealt with in no way benefits the Russian war effort. That is a matter for the Department for Transport. One of the impo
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
I can comment on the environmental risk. Obviously that is important, and we will do all we can to ensure that we do not see any adverse impact or consequence of what we have done in that respect. As I have said, apart from the captain, who is in custody
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord and the noble Baroness for the comments that they have made. I particularly thank the noble Baroness for her thanks—and I know it is a sentiment shared by us all—to our Armed Forces for the work that they did. It is impor
2026-06-16
Russian Shadow Fleet
We talk to all our European partners, including Greece, about how we ensure that the sanctions with respect to Russia are as effective as possible. We highlight all the time the importance of ensuring that the efforts of Ukraine to repel the illegal inv
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
I thank the noble Lord for his question. The original assumption was that we would look towards 2035 as when we need to be ready. However, with the intelligence and the work being done, we are looking more towards 2030, and that is in addition to what we
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
We are trying to increase the number of ships, so hopefully in the end we will catch up. The personnel we have, we seek to employ gainfully. We have reformed and changed how procurement operates within the MoD. We have a new national armaments director r
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
I cannot say that we are seeking to join that bank, but within the MoD and across government there are considerations of what other mechanisms we might use to fund defence.
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
We are taking a lot of action on recruitment and retention. To give a couple of examples in the short time I have, the announcement last week about the further increase to Armed Forces personnel pay was important, showing that the Government support and
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
It is an interesting idea. Indeed, the strategic defence review of the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, pointed out the contribution that many departments, not just the MoD, will make to homeland defence and the protection of critical defence infrastructure.
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
That is the most difficult question I have had. The serious point, notwithstanding the debate around HS2, is the question of priorities within government. One of the issues that has caused some debate and discussion—I was asked a question about it—was th
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
Money for defence is already increasing, notwithstanding what happens in the DIP, which will further increase defence spending. In answer to various questions yesterday about defence spending going forward, I simply referred to what the Prime Minister t
2026-06-16
Defence Investment Plan
The priorities, and the moneys for the future, will be laid out in the defence investment plan. The noble Baroness is right to point out some of the important capabilities we have to protect our country and to work with our allies. She was right, for exa
2026-06-15
Defence Investment Plan
Smaller industries can also contribute, because they make a massive contribution to the defence of our country. If you look at all the various policy papers that are produced by the MoD, such as the strategic defence review, you will see that it is about
2026-06-15
Defence Investment Plan
I will deal with the last point first. Yes, the national conversation will commence within the next few months, and we hope to involve a wide range of people. I say to my noble friend that this is before the DIP process and any further changes with respe
Source: hansard.parliament.uk via hansard-api. Snippets shown
verbatim from the search API; click any debate title for the full record.
Register of Interests · 2 entries on file
Declarations under the Lords Code of Conduct. Free text — no monetary values, no hours worked. A declaration that an interest exists, not a claim about its size.
Category 1: Remunerated employment etc.
-
Minister of State, Ministry of Defence
registered 2024-08-06 · amended 2025-04-05
Category 6: Gifts, benefits and hospitality
-
Three tickets and hospitality received from Nottingham Forest FC for Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United match, 10 May 2026
registered 2026-05-18
Source: UK Parliament Members API (Lords register). Refreshed weekly.
Read the full
Lords Code of Conduct
for what each category covers and the disclosure thresholds.
Party history
1997-05-01 → present
Labour
current
Government posts
2024-07-08 → present
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
2009-06-09 → 2010-05-06
Minister of State (Department for Children, Schools and Families) (Schools and Learners)
2008-10-05 → 2009-06-09
Minister of State (Home Office) (Policing, Crime & Security)
2007-07-02 → 2008-10-05
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (Crime Reduction)
2006-05-05 → 2007-06-28
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
2005-05-10 → 2006-05-05
Lord Commissioner (HM Treasury) (Whip)
2003-06-13 → 2005-05-10
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
Opposition posts
2021-05-18 → 2024-07-05
Opposition Whip (Lords)
2021-05-18 → 2024-07-05
Shadow Spokesperson (Defence)
2021-05-18 → 2024-07-05
Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
2015-09-14 → 2016-06-26
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2013-10-07 → 2015-09-14
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
2011-10-07 → 2013-10-07
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2010-10-08 → 2011-10-07
Shadow Minister (Home Affairs)
2010-05-12 → 2010-10-08
Shadow Minister (Education) (Schools)
Committee memberships
1998-11-09 → 1999-02-01
Social Security
2017-10-16 → 2019-11-06
Business and Trade Committee
Contact
Parliamentary office
contactholmember@parliament.uk
020 7219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
020 7219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
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APPGs (2026) · 2 active officership(s) · 1 historic
| Group | Role(s) | Funders | Officers in group | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sport, Modern Slavery and Human Rights
Subject Group
|
Treasurer | UN Global Compact Network UK | 6 | 2023-07-04 |
|
Midlands Engine All-Party Parliamentary Group
Subject Group
|
Vice Chair | — | 4 | 2024-11-22 |
One row per active APPG. Funder names link out via the
/appgs Top secretariat funders panel — click any funder
there to open its full relationship graph. Officer matching is name-based against
the parliament.uk register text and may miss titled / hyphenated variants.
Written parliamentary questions · 2026
No written questions tabled in 2026.
Bills sponsored & supported · 2026
0 bills
0 as lead sponsor
0 as supporter
No bills sponsored or supported in 2026.
Source: UK Parliament Bills API. "Lead" sponsor is the
primary mover (sortOrder = 1); "Supporter" rows are
members of either House who
backed the bill at introduction. Year is the bill's first-reading
date.
Historic bills (all-time)
1 bills
0 as lead sponsor
1 as supporter
| Bill | Info | Role | Status | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armed Forces Commissioner Act | Supported | Royal Assent | 2024-11-06 |
Same source as the year-scoped panel above, but unconstrained by
year. The "Sponsored" tag = lead sponsor; "Supported" = backed at
introduction. Sorted newest first.