The former Nottinghamshire MP was officially introduced to the House as ‘Baron Coaker of Gedling in the County of Nottinghamshire’ during the ceremony just after 1pm on March 22nd.
Lord Coaker previously said to his followers on Social Media: “Since 2019 I have continued to campaign for the things that matter to me. I am ready to continue the fight for those Labour values that I believe are more important than ever on a local, national and international level".
“My important new role will give me me the opportunity and platform to stand up for fairness, equality and social justice and play my part in holding the Government to account.
Vernon Coaker, former Labour MP for Gedling, represented the constituency for 22 years between 1997 and the 2019 General Election when he was replaced by current Conservative MP Tom Randall.
In July 2021, he joined the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab as an Honorary Professor of Modern Slavery Policy, where he had been championing human rights and pledges to continue with his current local roles helping in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery and with the local Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership.
He was recommended for a peerage by current Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and announced the news to his followers on Twitter in December, stating that he was "honoured" to take up the role but said his commitment to local issues "remains as strong as ever".