MP suspended for using racist slur claims anti-racism course on expenses

Exclusive: Neil Coyle, whom Sir Keir Starmer welcomed back into the party in May, put a £295 unconscious bias course on his expenses

A Labour MP suspended from the party for racially abusing a journalist went on to charge taxpayers for an anti-racism awareness course, The Independent can reveal.

Neil Coyle – who was welcomed back into the party by Sir Keir Starmer in May – put a £295 unconscious bias course on expenses.

Critics said it was “outrageous” and “beyond the pale” for the MP to bill taxpayers for his attempt to make amends, and he now faces calls for a fresh suspension.

Labour MP Kim Johnson said it was “an outrage for Neil Coyle to charge the taxpayer in his attempt to atone for his racist and abusive behaviour”, adding: “It begs the question – is he committed to learning his lesson?”

The left-winger called on Sir Keir to act against Mr Coyle. “Given he is clearly not prepared to take responsibility for his actions, Labour should seriously reconsider removing the whip again.”

Expensing his anti-racism training course, carried out in January 2023, has caused deep unease among Mr Coyle’s colleagues. “It’s not a good look – it doesn’t show contrition,” one senior Labour MP told The Independent.

They added: “It looks like someone who has gone through the motions. There needs to be penance – and you have to foot the bill for the penance.”

Neil Coyle was banned from bars inside the parliamentary estate after a drunken incident in which he made a racist remark toward a journalist (PA Wire)

Rachel Bentley, a Lib Dem councillor who will fight for Mr Coyle’s Bermondsey and Old Southwark seat at the next general election, said she “could not imagine” why he thought it was acceptable to expense the course.

“It shouldn’t be something that the taxpayers should be footing,” she said. “He has shown contrition, certainly publicly, and I’m assuming taking that course was part of that. But absolutely, there’s no logic for that being borne by the taxpayer.”

Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor, added: “The whole point of being held accountable for racism is that you, not the taxpayer, gets the penalty. It stinks that Mr Coyle doesn’t think it apples to him.”

The original drunken incident – in which Mr Coyle made Sinophobic remarks about political reporter Henry Dyer – took place at a House of Commons bar on 1 February 2022, Chinese new year.

The journalist said the pair had been discussing Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP who received funds from a suspected Chinese spy, when Mr Coyle said his colleague had been “paid by Fu Manchu” – a cartoon villain that draws on traditional Chinese stereotypes.

The journalist said that told Mr Coyle that a reference to a “Chinese trope” was not appropriate and noted that he was British-Chinese.

The Labour politician then told him his heritage was apparent “from how you look like you’ve been giving renminbi [Chinese currency] to Barry Gardiner”.

As he left the bar that night, Mr Dyer said he wanted to defuse the tension with Mr Coyle, so waved him goodbye. He said the MP responded by sticking two fingers up at him.

Labour MP Kim Johnson has called on Keir Starmer to consider a fresh suspension (UK Parliament)

Mr Coyle was suspended that month. He took the anti-racism training course on 27 January this year and a few months later, in May, Sir Keir restored the whip.

The unconscious bias course, run by Equality and Diversity UK, promises to explain “how we can overcome our unconscious biases to improve decision-making and professional relationships”.

The six-hour course promises to help attendees understand how unconscious biases “impact their working lives” and to “become more aware, less biased and more inclusive”. Covered topics include the legal implications of bias in the workplace and case studies and examples of unconscious bias.

Mr Coyle told The Independent the course was for himself and a staff member, but Equality and Diversity UK’s website states that the course is £295 per delegate.

“Anyone who thinks all MPs are perfect and don’t need any training is not living in the real world frankly,” he said. “I encourage my whole team to undergo training and would be a hypocrite if I didn’t do it myself.”

The Independent can also reveal Mr Coyle charged taxpayers £4,500 for 10 days’ worth of communications support from an external consultant – a rate of £164,250 per year.

The most MPs are allowed to pay staff according to expenses watchdog Ipsa is £56,312 per year.

Mr Coyle paid Paul Richards, who wrote a book called Be Your Own Spin Doctor, for the PR support between February and March 2023 – weeks before he had the Labour whip restored.

The MP said the hugely expensive assistance was required because of delays in hiring full-time staff.

Neil Coyle also hired PR support before he had whip restored (PA)

A senior Conservative MP said putting the course on expenses was “akin to asking parliament to pay a fine and it’s not appropriate”. Another said it was “tacky and in bad taste”.

Another Tory source added: “No matter how many times they try and tell us they are ‘changed’, it’s the same old Labour Party. Billing the taxpayer for correcting racism is beyond the pale, but sadly not surprising.”

Urging Sir Keir to consider a fresh suspension, Ms Johnson said Labour should not tolerate “such a flippant attitude towards racism”.

The backbencher, a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on racism, added: “Without urgent action, how are Black and Asian people in the Labour Party supposed to feel safe and supported?”

Mr Coyle has stopped drinking since the Commons bar incident and, as a result, has said the exchange “quite possibly saved my life”.

“I wish to specifically apologise to the two complainants who were subject to my drunk and offensive behaviour and attitude,” he previously said. “I cannot apologise enough for the harm and upset caused, and I’m ashamed of my conduct, frankly. It should not have happened.”

Chief whip Alan Campbell told the MP that “drinking does not in any way excuse his behaviour” but that the party recognises his efforts to address his problematic conduct.

An Ipsa spokesman said: “Training courses for MPs or their staff which relate to parliamentary duties can be claimed from Ipsa as a business cost.”

Labour declined to comment.