Who is Thérèse Coffey and what is her net worth?
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Thérèse Coffey resigned as Environment Secretary in November 2023.
The news of her stepping down came on a dramatic day in UK politics that saw Suella Braverman sacked as Home Secretary, and the return of former Prime Minister David Cameron.
Who is Thérèse Coffey?
Thérèse Coffey is a politician who was born in Billinge, Lancashire, on November 18, 1971.
She grew up in Liverpool and attended Somerville College at Oxford University before earning a PhD in chemistry at University College London.
Before going into politics she worked for Mars Incorporated and the BBC.
Coffey is the Tory MP for Suffolk Coastal and has served the constituency since 2010.
In 2019, she was appointed Work and Pensions Secretary by then-Prime Minster Boris Johnson and in September 2022 she was appointed as Health Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister by Liz Truss.
Rishi Sunak named Coffey as his Environment Secretary in 2022.
What does the Environment Secretary do?
The Environment Secretary has responsibility over the Departments for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Specifically, the MP in the role is responsible for:
- water quality and security
- food production and security
- economic growth
- international relations
- senior appointments
The Environment Secretary has the enormous job of setting out the country's environmental strategy.
What other parliamentary roles has Thérèse Coffey held?
When she was elected in 2010, Coffey became Suffolk Coastal's first female member of parliament.
She is a former deputy Commons leader and was appointed as Minister for the Environment by former PM Theresa May.
On entering Parliament, Coffey was first a member of the Culture, Olympics, Media and Sports Committee, and then served as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions between 2019 and 2022.
Truss appointed Coffey, her close ally, as her Health Secretary and second in command in September 2022, but when Sunak took over as PM the following month he moved Coffey to the role of Environment Secretary.
Coffey, who served under five Conservative Prime Ministers, announced her resignation on November 13, 2023.
In a letter to PM Sunak she wrote: "I consider it is now the right time to step back from government".
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What is Thérèse Coffey's net worth?
According to reports, Coffey earned a salary of £155,817.00 per year in her role as Environment Secretary.
It is estimated that her net worth is around £1million.
Who is Thérèse Coffey's sister?
Coffey's sister is called Clare and the siblings actually work alongside each other.
Clare has worked in Coffey's parliamentary office as a secretary since 2015.
It has been said that Clare was the one who actually inspired Thérèse to go into politics, after she became involved with the local Conservatives herself.