Niamh Cooper

The Right Honourable Niamh Cooper MP
Secretary of State for Technology, Science & Innovation
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 June 2019
Prime Minister	Clas Markussen
Preceded by	Olivier Gervais
Leader of the Opposition
In office 10 October 2018 – 20 May 2019
Deputy	Karl Simoneau
Preceded by	Michel Fallow
Succeeded by	Clas Markussen
Vice President of Ordennya
In office 1 December 2016 – 17 August 2018
President	Anneli Lindstrom (2016 - 2018) Ken Svensson
Preceded by	Rune Nyström
Succeeded by	Maria Picard
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 10 May 2018 – 17 August 2018
President	Ken Svensson
Preceded by	Ken Svensson
Succeeded by	Euclid Artois
Home Secretary
In office 7 May 2015 – 10 May 2018
President	Allegra Howard
Preceded by	Michael Fallow
Succeeded by	Jennifre Alexandre
Leader of the Green Party
In office 1 December 2016 – 20 May 2019
Deputy	Clas Markussen
Preceded by	Rune Nyström
Succeeded by	Clas Markussen
Deputy Leader of the Green Party
In office 19 November 2010 – 1 December 2016 Serving with Albért H. Montpélier
Leader	Rune Nyström
Preceded by	Jane Jakobsson
Succeeded by	Clas Markussen
Member of Parliament for Västdal At-large (1 of 21 List MPs for Västdal)
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2005
Personal details
Born	Niamh Katrin Cooper 1 February 1977 (age 42) Ashcombe, Estmere
Nationality	Ordennyan
Political party	Green
Alma mater	University of North Point (BA) University of Osea (MA) University of Cambourg (Ph.D)
Profession	Scientist

Niamh Cooper (born 1 February 1977) is an Estmere-born Ordennyan politician and scientist, who served as Home Secretary from 2015 to 2018, Vice President of Ordennya from 2016 to 2018, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2018, and as Leader of the Green Party since 2016.

Born in the city of Oured, Cooper graduated from the University of North Point and the University of Ambrose before receiving a PhD from the University of Cambourg in 2001. She joined the Green Party in 1991, at the age of 14. Following her graduation from the University of Cambourg, she took up a research position at the University, specialising in Environmental Studies, a position she held from 2001 until 2005, when she was first elected to Parliament.

She is known as a campaigner and writer on green economics, localisation, alternatives to globalisation, trade justice, animal welfare and food. In her time as a politician and activist, she has worked with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and think-tanks, including Compass, New Left, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Oxfam.

Early Life and education

Cooper was born in Ashcombe to middle-class parents. His father, John, was from Estmere, and her mother Saoirse, is Caldian. She is one of three children.

When she was 3, her family moved to Oured, Ordennya, where her father set up a solar panel business.

Cooper was educated at Axlarhagi District School, a state-comprehensive in the Oured borough of Axlarhagi. She then went to the University of North Point, earning a first-class BA degree in her joint honours course of Environmental Science and Economics, graduating in 1998. While at university, Cooper went on many trips to Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp and Molesworth peace camp when involved with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). Cooper was an activist in CND and was involved in the Snowball Campaign against foreign military bases in the Ordennya which involved the cutting of fences with the expectation of being arrested.

Cooper won a scholarship at the University of Osea, in November City, studying an MA in Environmental Science between 1998 and 1999, before attaining a Ph.D from the University of Cambourg in 2000 with a thesis entitled Environmental Science and future of Socialist Economics.

Life and career

Early political career

After being "utterly inspired" by Rune Nyström's book Seeing Green, Cooper joined the Green Party in 1991, at the age of 14. She recalled in 2007: "I thought, right! I'm going there now" to the Green's main office on Clapham High Street, near where she lived in Oured. "I'm just going to dedicate the rest of my life to this party".

Alongside her research post at Cambourg, she was active in the Green Party, campaigning for the Green candidate in the seat of Cambourg at the 2000 general election, who gained the seat from the Tories. She was later elected to the Green Party's National Executive, where she earned a reputation among the Eco-Socialist wing of the Green Party, and as a Party Moderniser.

Green Party MP

Cooper was awarded a place on the Green Party's list for the Electoral Region of Västdal at the 2005 election. She was the first of the 10 MPs elected on the city-wide list, receiving more votes than any other candidate. She entered Parliament as one of the youngest MPs, at the age of 28 Identified by leader Rune Nyström as a 'rising star' in the Green Party, she was awarded a place on the Green Party frontbench as the Green Party's Spokesperson on Technology, Science, and Innovation. Following the 2010 general election, in which she retained her place at the top of Västdal's list, she decided to stand for the vacated position of Female Co-Deputy Leader of the Green Party, following the resignation of Lilly Carson. While placing second on the first preference vote of Green Party members, with 32% to Valeria Harper's 36%, she won 57% of the Two-Candidate-Preferred vote and was thereby elected Co-Deputy Leader of the Green Party. Cooper was additionally promoted on the Green Frontbench to the position of Home Office spokesperson. She worked with the Shadow Home Secretary, Sam Löfgren, to bring about a series of amendments to the Conservative government's proposed Investigatory Powers Act. The Act was later withdrawn in favour of one that protected civil liberties rather than hindered them. Following the 2015 election, in which the Coalition of Socialist's & Democrats formed a coalition with the Green Party, Cooper was made Home Secretary in the Coalition Cabinet.

Home Secretary

To be added

Leader of the Green Party and Vice President of Ordennya

To be added