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Neil Coyle’s admission this week that he has given up alcohol and sought treatment for his problem drinking is admirable and should be commended.
There is a lot of chatter these days about men not talking enough about their problems, and keeping things to themselves – so much so that it can sometimes seem that, ironically, we talk about little else.
But it is very brave of the Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP to speak so openly about the fairly shocking extent of his drinking problem and the various reasons for it. A minimum of twelve pints per night, five days a week is probably unimaginable for most people.
And yet, as he said himself, his drinking started slowly and eventually snowballed to where it was earlier this year. Drinking problems rarely appear out of nowhere, but often creep up slowly on people. Coyle’s public admission may be of help to people who are currently sliding down that slippery slope.
It’s also refreshing for an MP to own up to something. The current government, and outgoing PM Boris Johnson in particular, appear to be completely incapable of being straight in their public statements, let alone giving sincere apologies for the many scandals that have rocked the administration in recent months.
Of course, Coyle has not been a Labour MP for months now; aside from damaging his health, drinking may also have torpedoed his political career. In his statement, he admitted what had long been suspected – that alcohol played a part in the incident in February where he allegedly used racist language in a conversation with a Westminster political reporter, for which he has apologised.
As Coyle himself said, alcohol does not excuse bad behaviour, and the Labour inquiry into the incident is still going on five months after the incident, although is is unclear why it is taking so long. Asked for an update this week, a Labour spokesperson said “we don’t give a running commentary on investigations” – the kind of evasive non-answer that fuels cynicism about politics.
Whether or not Coyle gets the whip back is anyone’s guess. But his health is ultimately more important. We wish him all the best for continued sobriety.