Labour MP Eric Joyce is charged with 3 counts of common assault following incident in Stranger’s bar at House of Commons, looks like soapy bubble!

Dear All

It’s bad news for Eric Joyce.

He has been bar room brawl at a House of Commons bar in which a Tory rival was allegedly head-butted.

In light of the ‘Battle for Britain’ episode, he faces 3 charges of common assault and will go up before the beak.

So, he is off to West London Magistrates' Court next month.

I suspect he will probably plea guilty and then say something in mitigation along the lines of personal troubles etc etc.

I have to say that I expected better of Joyce, he has let himself down badly and his family and community.

Going to Westminster is a privilege because you help to shape the country and get to float ideas that could make real difference to people’s lives.

Mind you may people are hacks, little better than cannon fodder who simply follow the party line.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said:

"Eric Joyce, aged 51, an MP of Union Street, Bo'ness, West Lothian has been charged with three counts of common assault following an incident within the House of Commons on Wednesday, 22 February. He will appear on bail at West London Magistrates' Court on 7 March."

Tory MP Stuart Andrew, MP for Pudsey who ‘got the nut’ stuck in him, has no visible cuts or bruises.

And he quickly let the world know on Twitter by writing:

"I'm ok."

Labour suspended Joyce from the party pending the results of the police investigation.

Labour will have to make an example of Joyce as they have already stuck their flag to the mast by saying the incident is "extremely serious".

Commons Speaker John Bercow was quick to thwarted any attempt to raise the matter in the chamber by issuing a stern warning at the start of proceedings.

He told MPs:

"I take this matter very seriously, as do the House authorities. I would ask that no further reference should be made to these reports in the Chamber."

I think given what is in the public domain, so many witness and ‘victims’, Eric Joyce would be well advised to think before entering any plea.

I don’t think that he will end up in prison and see no reason for a Falkirk by-election but I do think there is scope to send him for counselling to find out what exactly his problem is.

And the Common authorities should ban him from drinking alcohol and setting foot in the Palace of Westminster bars or restaurants which sell alcohol for remainder of the current term of this Parliament.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University