NEWS STORY : Neil Coyle Faces Five Day Suspension from Commons
STORY
Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, faces a five-day suspension from the House of Commons following an investigation into his alleged abusive behaviour towards a journalist during two drunken confrontations in a Commons bar. The Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which investigates matters such as harassment complaints against MPs, concluded that Coyle engaged in foul-mouthed and drunken abuse, breaching Parliament’s harassment and conduct rules.
Coyle has apologised for his behaviour, stating that he was “ashamed” and that the complaints against him “possibly saved my life” by compelling him to stop drinking alcohol. This is not the first time Coyle has faced a complaint regarding his behaviour as in 2019 he was accused of propositioning a woman more than a decade his junior at a Labour party conference.
The IEP stated that the suspension serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding high standards of conduct in public office. It is crucial that MPs, as representatives of their constituents, behave in a manner that befits their position and serves as an example to others. The IEP’s recommendation for Coyle’s suspension demonstrates the seriousness with which Parliament takes issues of harassment and abusive behaviour and it concluded:
“We also determine that the respondent should make a full and unreserved apology on the floor of the House by means of a personal statement. With the leave of the Speaker, the text of that apology should be agreed by the Chair of the Panel”.
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