Neil Coyle was first elected as the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 16,126.
In February 2022, he had the Labour whip removed following allegations surrounding certain comments he made to a journalist in a House of Commons bar. He was regained the Labour whip in May 2023.
The constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark is found in the very centre of London on the southern banks of the River Thames, stretching out from the tourist centre on the South Bank to Canada Water and Rotherhithe in the East. The seat contains a number of London landmarks such as the Shard building, the Globe Theatre, and Southwark cathedral. Although the seat contains some highly expensive modern apartment buildings, in general this remains an economically deprived area.
It was represented in Parliament by the Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes for over thirty years between 1983 and 2015, but has since returned to the Labour Party.
Born in 1978, Neil attended Wenlock, Ashcroft and Bedford schools before studying at Hull University. He lived in China between 2001 and 2003. Coyle worked in a series of policy jobs, including as Director of Policy at the Disability Alliance and Head of Policy at National Centre for Independent Living, before being elected to Parliament.
Coyle nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015, but later expressed regret at doing so, and backed Owen Smith in his 2016 challenge against Mr Corbyn. Considered to be on the right of the Labour Party, he supported Jess Phillips in the 2020 Labour leadership election.
With a high 74% of the electorate in his constituency backing Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, Coyle voted against the triggering of Article 50 in relation to Britain’s departure from the EU.
Coyle was a councillor on Southwark council between 2010 and 2016. He was Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Southwark in 2014/15.
Neil Coyle is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Wine and Spirits; Food Banks; and Homelessness. He is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nuclear Energy;
He is married with one daughter.
Email: neil.coyle.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.neilcoyle.org.uk/
Twitter: twitter.com/coyleneil
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NeilCoyleMP
