Neil Coyle

Neil Coyle (born 31st December 1978) is a British Labour Party politician, disability rights activist, author and broadcaster. He is currently Director of Policy and Campaigns for Disability Rights UK and a Labour Councillor for Newington Ward in the London Borough of Southwark. On 2nd April 2013, he announced his candidature to be the Labour Prospective parliamentary candidate for .
Early life and education
Coyle was born in Luton to Alan Coyle and Mary (nee) Wesson, the third of their four children together. Alan was a travelling salesman and Mary ran a nursery, before ill health forced her to stop. He studied at local schools (Wenlock Church of England and Ashcroft High) until attending Bedford School on a scholarship. He achieved straight As at A-Level but declined to apply for an Oxbridge place, opting instead for the prestigious British Politics and Legislative Studies course under Professor the Lord Norton of Louth.
Career
Coyle lived and worked in Tianjin, in China for two years after university, leaving following the SARS outbreak. He joined the Disability Rights Commission, a Department for Work and Pensions non-departmental public body, in 2003. Coyle swiftly rose from a junior role assisting media, campaigns and policy staff to become Policy Manager by 2006.
Coyle built a strong reputation for lobbying and policy insight - speaking in Zagreb for the . Following this he was co-opted onto the National Centre for Independent Living's board of trustees and was appointed as a member of Ivan Lewis MPs' Ministerial Advisory Group for social care reform and remained in that role until 2008. He has written for The Guardian on a Labour case to reform care and was the progenitor of the idea for a National Care Service, adopted by Andy Burnham MP.
Coyle joined Disability Alliance in 2009 and ran the anti-poverty charity organisation from the end of 2010 after the departure of the Chief Executive. Disability Alliance was a successful campaigning and membership organisation, absorbing Skill in 2011. The Alliance merged with NCIL and Radar in January 2012 to form Disability Rights UK where Coyle became Director of Policy and Campaigns.
Coyle has made frequent appearances on television, commenting on disability rights and discrimination against disabled people. He also has appeared on BBC 5 Live offering advice, including on managing the impacts of the Bedroom Tax.
Political career
In the May 2010 local elections, Coyle was successfully fought for a
Council seat representing the Newington Ward in the London Borough of Southwark. He took 40% of the vote, a 10% swing from the Liberal Democrats.
The Newington Ward surrounds the Elephant and Castle, Walworth Road and Kennington Park Road area. Coyle represents constituents with Labour's Patrick Diamond and Liberal Democrat Catherine Bowman. He is also the London Borough of Southwark's Deputy Cabinet Member for Welfare and a Trustee of the North Southwark Environment Trust.
Coyle is also a committed trade unionist. As a member of Unite the Union he has fought against unfair dismissal and gained recognition for Unite during the formation of a new charity.

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