MP Neil Coyle suspended by Labour after 'making racist comment to journalist'

Labour MP Neil Coyle has had the whip withdrawn following allegations he made racist remarks to a journalist.

The MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark was reportedly banned from all bars on the Parliamentary estate following comments he is alleged to have made to Insider journalist Henry Dyer.

A Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party expects the highest standards of behaviour from all our MPs and we take allegations of this sort very seriously.

“Accordingly, the chief whip has now suspended the Labour whip from Neil Coyle pending an investigation.”

Dyer said in an article on Thursday that he and Coyle had been discussing Labour MP Barry Gardiner, who had received funds from alleged Chinese spy Christine Lee.

Coyle is said to have said his colleague had been “paid by Fu Manchu”, a cartoon character.

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In the article published on Business Insider, Dyer said that he pushed back at Coyle over the comments, to which the MP accused him of being "sensitive".

When Dyer told him he was British-Chinese, Coyle allegedly told him: "from how you look like you've been giving renminbi [the Chinese currency] to Barry Gardiner."

Coyle, who has been an MP since 2015, has apologised for his "insensitive" remarks.

He said in a statement:"I'm very sorry for my insensitive comments, [I] have apologised to everyone involved and will be cooperating fully with the investigation."

Dyer reported the alleged comments to the Commons Speaker, who he said took “immediate action” with his staff and suspended Coyle from the bars on the estate pending an investigation.

It is understood that after Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle became aware of Dyer’s allegations, he convened a meeting with the Serjeant at Arms who ordered that Coyle should be suspended from bars in the Commons for six months.

Authorities in the House of Lords are believed to have taken similar action.

The House of Commons declined to comment. Coyle has been approached for comment.