A Labor MP who was expelled from the party for racist abuse of a journalist has gone on to sue 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 – set up a £295 unconscious bias course on spending.
Critics said it was “outrageous” and “outrageous” for the MP to bill taxpayers for his attempt to make amends, and he now faces calls for another suspension.
Labor MP Kim Johnson said it was “a shame for Neil Coyle to be suing the taxpayer in his bid to atone for his racist and abusive behaviour”, adding: “It begs the question – is he determined to learn his lesson?”
The left winger called on Sir Keir to take action against Coyle. “Given that he is clearly unwilling to take responsibility for his actions, Labor should seriously reconsider abolishing the whip.”
The payout for his anti-racism training, which was delivered in January 2023, has caused alarm among Mr Coyle’s colleagues. “It doesn’t look good – it shows no remorse,” said a senior Labor MP The independent.
They added: “Looks like someone went through the motions. Atonement must be made – and you must foot the bill for the fine.”
Rachel Bentley, a Lib Dem councilor who will contest the seat of Coyle in Bermondsey and Old Southwark at the next general election, said she “couldn’t imagine” why he thought it was acceptable to forego the course to go.
“It shouldn’t be something that taxpayers have to pay for,” she said. ‘He has shown remorse, certainly publicly, and I assume taking that course was part of that. But it makes absolutely no sense that this is borne by the taxpayer.”
Nazir Afzal, former chief prosecutor, added: “The whole point of being held responsible for racism is that you, not the taxpayer, get the punishment. It stinks that Mr Coyle thinks it doesn’t appeal to him.’
The original drunken incident – which saw Mr Coyle make Sinophobic comments about political reporter Henry Dyer – took place in a House of Commons bar on February 1, 2022, Chinese New Year.
The journalist said the pair had been discussing Barry Gardiner, the Labor MP who received money from a suspected Chinese spy, when Mr Coyle said his colleague had been “paid off by Fu Manchu” – a cartoon villain who draws on traditional Chinese stereotypes.
The journalist said he told Mr Coyle that a reference to a “Chinese figure of speech” was inappropriate and noted that he was British-Chinese.
The Labor politician then told him his origins were clear “from the way you look like you gave renminbi [Chinese currency] to Barry Gardiner”.
As he left the bar that evening, Mr Dyer said he wanted to defuse the tension with Mr Coyle, so he waved goodbye. He said the MP responded by pointing two fingers at him.
Mr Coyle was suspended that month. He attended anti-racism training on January 27 this year and a few months later, in May, Sir Keir reinstated the whip.
The unconscious bias course, delivered 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 participants understand how unconscious biases “affect their working lives” and to “become more aware, less biased and more inclusive.” Topics covered include the legal implications of workplace bias, case studies and examples of unconscious bias.
Mr. Coyle told it The independent the course was for himself and a member of staff, but the Equality and Diversity UK website states that the course costs £295 per participant.
“Anyone who thinks all MPs are perfect and don’t need training is, quite frankly, not living in the real world,” he said. “I encourage my entire team to take training and would be hypocritical if I didn’t do it myself.”
The independent can also reveal that Mr Coyle charged the taxpayer £4,500 for ten days of communications support from an external consultant – a rate of £164,250 per year.
Most MPs are allowed to pay staff, according to spending watchdog Ipsa, at £56,312 a year.
Mr. Coyle paid Paul Richards, who wrote a book called Be your own spin doctorfor the PR support between February and March 2023 – weeks before he reinstated the Labor whip.
The MP said the hugely expensive aid was needed due to delays in hiring full-time staff.
A senior Conservative MP said instituting a course on spending was “akin to asking parliament to pay a fine, and that is not appropriate”. Another said it was “tacky and in bad taste”.
Another Tory source added: “No matter how many times they try to tell us they’ve ‘changed’, it’s still the same old Labor Party. Billing taxpayers for correcting racism is incomprehensible, but unfortunately not surprising.”
Mrs Johnson urged Sir Keir to consider another suspension, saying Labor should not tolerate “such a flippant attitude to 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 Labor Party supposed to feel safe and supported?”
Mr Coyle has stopped drinking since the incident in the Commons bar and has said as a result that the exchange “possibly saved my life”.
“I would like to specifically apologize to the two complainants who were affected by my drunken and abusive behavior and attitude,” he said earlier. “I cannot apologize enough for the harm and upset caused, and honestly I am ashamed of my behavior. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Chief whip Alan Campbell told MPs that “drinking does not in any way excuse his behaviour” but that the party recognizes his efforts to tackle his problematic behaviour.
An Ipsa spokesperson said: “Training courses for MPs or their staff relating to parliamentary duties can be declared to Ipsa as a business expense.”
Labor declined to comment.