A heated exchange in Westminster Hall this morning resulted in the removal of a Labour MP from the debating chamber.

Neil Coyle, who represents Bermondsey and Old Southwark, was ordered to leave by chair Esther McVey following his disruptive outburst during a speech by Reform UK’s Lee Anderson.

The confrontation erupted whilst Mr Anderson, the member for Ashfield, was delivering remarks about London’s knife crime situation.

The Reform MP said during the Westminster Hall debate: “We know that under Sadiq Khan’s leadership there’s been a reduction in stop and search of over 23 per cent in just one year (2023/24).

“Meanwhile knife crime in London has increased by nearly 60 per cent in just three years, and that’s according to a Policy Exchange report. It is a classic case, I believe, of a mayor who could not care less.”

Mr Coyle repeatedly attempted to interject as Mr Anderson presented his critique of the capital’s approach to tackling blade-related offences.

Despite the interjections, the Reform MP continued: “He [Sir Sadiq Khan] would sooner spend his time calling everybody who disagrees with him a racist, rather than stopping these endless knife attacks on the streets of London.”

Addressing the chamber, Ms McVey declared: “I remind members that it’s down to the speaker to accept or not. Is it a point of order? Well, I’ll listen to your point of order and then we’ll decide if it was.”

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The Labour MP then stood up, arguing: “The point is that members are all required to not mislead the House or accidentally mislead the House, there is an issue with some of the figures that have just been presented.

“And I just wonder whether you could encourage the member to either give the dates for the figures he was using, which show that they will be out of date, or use the correct data which shows that knife crime has fallen in the capital. Something we should welcome together.”

Ruling that his argument “wasn’t a point of order”, Mrs McVey then asked: “Would you like to leave the Westminster Hall?”

Mr Coyle quickly swiped: “When we’re done, yeah.”

Ms McVey then ordered the immediate removal of the Labour MP, declaring: “Well, I’d actually ask you now to leave. Thank you.

“It wasn’t a point of order, it was a point of debate. There are at least ten people who’d like to speak today, and you do have your chance to speak, but I’m afraid your temper and your attitude doesn’t actually belong in Westminster Hall.”

Mr Coyle swiped back again, muttering “wow, brilliant, okay” before leaving the room.

Inviting Mr Anderson to speak again, the Reform MP quipped: “It is not the first time the honourable member has been thrown out of a room on this estate”, in reference to a 2023 incident when he was given a five-day Commons suspension after making racist comments to a journalist in one of the parliamentary bars.