MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Foreign Secretary
“A long-serving Labour MP with 100% party loyalty and no rebel votes, who has risen to Foreign Secretary.”
Yvette Cooper is a Labour (Co-op) MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, first elected in 1997. She has held senior government roles, including Home Secretary in 2024–25 and is Foreign Secretary from September 2025, with a long parliamentary career focused on security, home affairs and international policy.
She shows strong party loyalty (100%, above the party average) and a relatively high voting attendance (63%, above the party average). She has no rebel votes, and sits on the centre-left (45/100). Her voting record leans toward welfare and public services: generally for Universal Credit and NHS funding, for bus services regulation, and against tighter immigration controls, asylum measures and the Rwanda deportation scheme; with mixed positions on VAT, transgender rights, and prison sentencing, and generally against stronger trade union powers.
Declares four financial interests: two entries for ad hoc payments related to employment/earnings, one entry for other employment/earnings, and one entry for gifts, benefits or hospitality from UK sources.
Generated 21 February 2026
How this MP participates in parliamentary votes. These numbers describe activity, not effectiveness.
How often this MP votes
Labour (Co-op) average: 33%
The percentage of parliamentary votes (divisions) this MP participated in. MPs may miss votes for legitimate reasons including ministerial duties, constituency work, or illness.
How often this MP votes with their party
Labour (Co-op) average: 99%
Estimated from voting record, not self-declared. This is a simplified model — real politics is more complex than a single axis.
26 positions
Foreign Secretary
Since Sept 2025
Home Secretary
Jul 2024 - Sept 2025
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department
Nov 2021 - May 2024
Liaison Committee (Commons)
May 2020 - Dec 2021
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
May 2020 - Jan 2022
Home Affairs Committee
Jan 2020 - Dec 2021
Liaison Committee Sub-committee on the effectiveness and influence of the select committee system
Feb 2019 - Nov 2019
Figures include only interests with declared monetary values from the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Some categories (e.g. hospitality, overseas visits) may not have monetary values recorded, so the total may not reflect all declared interests.
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 6
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 5
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 4
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Opposition Day Motion: Oil and Gas
NODraft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
AYEDraft Employment Rights Act 2025 (Investigatory Powers) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026
AYEChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 17
AYEChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Foreign Secretary
Government role · 5 Sept 2025
Home Secretary
Government role · 5 Jul 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department
Opposition role · 29 Nov 2021
Liaison Committee (Commons)
Parliamentary role · 20 May 2020
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
Parliamentary role · 11 May 2020
Home Affairs Committee
Parliamentary role · 27 Jan 2020
Liaison Committee Sub-committee on the effectiveness and influence of the select committee system
Parliamentary role · 13 Feb 2019
The percentage of votes where this MP voted the same way as the majority of their party. High loyalty is typical; most MPs vote with their party on most issues.
Rebel votes
Times this MP voted differently from the majority of their party. This can reflect independent judgement, but context matters — some rebel votes are on procedural matters, others on major policy.
