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Eric Joyce MP suspended from Labour Party

February 23, 2012 12:04 pm

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After allegations of an assault in the “Strangers” Bar in Parliament last night, Eric Joyce has been suspended from Labour Party, and has had the whip withdrawn, pending a police investigation. According to the Guardian:

Scotland Yard confirmed that officers detained a man in his 50s after being called to reports of an incident at a bar within the Palace of Westminster at around 10.50pm on Wednesday. He was taken into custody at a central London police station.

A Labour spokesman said: “This is an extremely serious incident. We have suspended Eric Joyce pending the results of the police investigation.”

We at LabourList don’t want to rush to judge – but if any MP is found guilty of any form of unprovoked violent behaviour, then that must surely be the end of their time as a Labour MP – or an MP at all.

AnotherOldBoy
Obviously the violent behaviour must be unprovoked to justify such a drastic sanction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTiI1e-wVc

http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
It does seem that there was some provocation: the bar was allegedly full of Tories.
treborc
That was provoked was it not throwing eggs is as childish as you can get, and the bloke got what he deserves, as for this incident we need to wait and see if the police go forward with it.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-OConnor/100000837891021 Joe O’Connor
Can’t believe it Treborc. A measured judgement what’s going on?

http://twitter.com/Alex_Ross1983 Alex Ross
No way of knowing yet but if Eric has a drinking problem (previous for drink driving) then first and foremost hopefully he can get the help he needs to beat his addiction. If not then of course that’s a different matter entirely.

treborc
yes and he served although not sure if he saw action otherwise PTSD may be another factor

Hacking60
As I told you on Twitter, and am only too happy to repeat here, I think you have clearly been guilty of rushing to judge.
Eric Joyce is not an anonymous MP who has allegedly committed an anonymous unprovoked attack.
He is a real person who is in the news today and someone who you are clearly referring to. Otherwise why didn’t you make this comment in your blog yesterday.
I don’t have any connection with Eric Joyce or particularly any interest in him but it is a sorry day when so called “comrades” can’t wait to get to their keyboards to behave like sanctimonious judge and jury on a man who hasn’t even been charged with an offence yet.
Simply to claim, as I am sure you will that you were speaking generally and have I missed the word “any” in your comment is piffle.
Why didn’t you say that if any Labour MP is found guilty of the wanton slaughter by his or her own hand of a busload of cuddly seals then they should be removed as an MP (how but the way?) and their career should be over.
That would be just random.
And your comment wasn’t random, it wasn’t about “any”body,
It was about a man who hasn’t’ yet been charged with anything.
Shameful really, comrade.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-OConnor/100000837891021 Joe O’Connor
Please explain what ‘how but the way’ means? If you are going to get irate at least get it right!!!!

DaveL
So who has suspended him and was it in accordance with the Labour Party Rule Book. There should be a big difference between being suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party and The Labour Party.
The Parliamentary Party has too much control over the Party as a whole, wouldnt it be good if we left the Parliamentary Party to select their own Leader and the rest of us in the Party could have an EC who elects a Chair, but I suppose I am dreaming.

Peter Barnard
@ Dave L,

As far as I can make out, only the NEC (or the National Constitutional Committee, when so delegated) has powers of suspension of … “representation of the Party.”
The NEC has power of suspension for an allegation of breach of the constitution, rules or standing orders.
It’s difficult to believe that a quorum of NEC members (there are at least 24 members of the NEC) was assembled so quickly to apply a suspension order. However, it is possible that such a meeting did take place.
Who the “we” in the Party spokesman’s quote in the article is not clear …
treborc
We are hearing now he hit the Labour whip as well, so I think they will wait now until the case is either dropped or it’s taken to court.
But with the whip being removed he is basically on gardening leave.

http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts
I agree with the analysis in the past paragraph. I’ve met Eric a few times and he has always seemed decent enough but this is far from a decent act. It seems animalistic.
It’s been disappointing how many people on twitter have been saying things to the effect of ‘good on him, I’d love to hit a tory’. But Labour talks about itself in a way that claims the moral highground and its members at all levels need to live up to that. If a Tory MP had gotten drunk, shouted ‘there’s too many Labour MPs in here’ and then started headbutting them, this site would be full of outraged contributers berating the evils of ‘the nasty party’, without any consideration of their private lives or rumoured addictions.
Whatever is going on in his private life, I’m sorry for, but if we are meant to have the moral highground then we need to hold ourselves to higher moral standards – and those standards seem to have slipped last night, and in some of the support he has received for his conduct on twitter today.

http://twitter.com/bryonyvk Bryony Victoria King
I haven’t seen any responses saying ‘good for him, I’d love to hit a Tory’, if people are saying that then that’s ridiculous, but I have seen many tweets, comments and blog posts saying ‘typical nasty Labour’ – as if everyone in the Labour Party goes about attacking people. As a Labour member I wouldn’t take an outraged moral highground if a Tory MP had done the same and start accusing all Tories of acting the same way, as many are doing towards Labour at the moment. In fact, there seems to be a small number of well-know Tory bloggers/tweeters who seem to be glorfying in this incident, with barely disguised glee, to make an attack on the character of Labour in general.

treborc
Yes and if it was a Tory hitting somebody I can tell you labour would be jumping on the band wagon. But until we know for sure it’s all hear say.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-OConnor/100000837891021 Joe O’Connor
Relax Bryony. Roberts and Treborc are only tired and dreary Tories, desperate to run down Labour at any and every opportunity. Whether what they say is accurate or even coherent is entirely immaterial !!!

Winston_from_the_Ministry
Oh is it?
That’s quite a revealing thing to say.
treborc
Two sentences from the nappy rash kid

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7Z2KKBHSH4VQSKABV7ZSI3CVDQ WILLIAM
Are you the Tory party’s adviser on youth involvement. I think we should be told!!!!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZPXYLRVP4XOIGGDJWAL6HUO7U4 David
I’m afraid the reality isn’t quite as black and white as that. Compare and contrast the hashtag #headbuttatory, with Nadine Dorris’: “I wasn’t in the bar and don’t know what happened, but I know@ericjoyce is a good man.”

treborc
I will wait and see the out come, but to say labour taking the high ground when did this happen, four MPs went to jail and a dam sight more should have.
AlanGiles
It is nice to be able to agree with you. Violent behaviour can never be condoned whoever does it.
I think he really should consider his position: this isn’t the first time he has bought embarrassment to himself and the Labour party (he is known as “Airmiles Eric” in connection with his hefty expense claims).
There is nothing wrong with giving people a second chance – but he has already had more than one second chance

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-OConnor/100000837891021 Joe O’Connor
He hasn’t even been charged!!!! However, according to you he should resign as an MP. What are you talking about?
Sorry I forgot you’re a Tory!

AlanGiles
Joe. Stop parrotting “you’re a Tory” at everyone who doesn’t agree with you. If you had ever read what I write you would know that is not true. I would say Joyce is more right-wing than me, however, this is another expenses scrounger and his second drink related offence. Even if charges are not preferred there were several witnesses to the attack, including Labour ones.
Surely the voters of Falkirk deserve somebody who knows how to behave and doesn’t abuse the public purse

treborc
Joe has moved on from one liners to two, I bet a fiver he’s new labour. and has the nerve to tell people they are Tories.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7Z2KKBHSH4VQSKABV7ZSI3CVDQ WILLIAM
Can’t find a post by you that explicitly supports our party. Can you help?
AlanGiles
I have defended Ed Miliband – especially about that fuss about nothing about a mis-spelt Tweet. I support real Labour policy, what I don’t support is the Tory-lite like antics of people like David Miliband and Liam Byrne: writing memo’s like “there is no money left” does far more damage to Labour than anything I have written.
I want to see Labour again as a party which helps the poor and sick rather than kick them. I want to see Ed Miliband assert his authority and quash the Blairite revival. Is that “anti-Labour?.In regard to Mr Joyce: he is now charged with three counts of common assault: I would respectfully suggest he has done more damage to Labour than I have done. There is absolutely no need for physical violence. We all get carried away verbally discussing things, and langauge can sometimes be violent, but there is a great deal of difference between verbal and physical aggression. If he cannot control himself, he has no right to be in Parliament where he helps to vote on laws which tell the rest of us how to behave. That is why I am so against those MPs – of all parties – who committed offences over their expenses – many more should have been prosecuted or at the very least forced to resign (Gove, Grayling and Blears just for a few examples). I don’t think bad or illegal behaviour is any worse, or any more excusable, from any party.Ed Miliband rightly suspended Joyce quickly.One other point: should we really be having subsidized bars for M.P.’s given “we are all in this together”?
Joe called me a Tory – it is for others to judge – you appear to support his rather bizarre suggestion, but I know the truth.

derek
Hi Joe, @Alan is a good lefty, salt of the earth, Joyce has committed an un-defensible act. I understand your anger Joe and the nation is really just one big volcano awaiting to erupt.My lord! we’re in the fight of our life’s against this ideological driven tory mob and I shed no tears for any tory casualties neither. I stand shoulder to shoulder with the youth of this nation and I think it’s great to see some youth on this site, good luck Joe and keep the posts coming and read as much of the posts as you can?
http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts
Hi Joe, history shows that Alan and I are hardly best mates, but you can’t describe him as a Tory in any possible sense. I’m on the right of the party and he is to the left – the usual charge is that I am a closet Tory (which I am not, I’ve campaigned tirelessly for our party), but I do dislike the idea that calling someone a Tory is an insult to be wielded out whenever you disagree with someone. I”ve met plenty of Tories who are thoroughly decent people. I take the view that the vast majority of people involved in politics want to improve the country, we just disagree over how best to do it, but most agree that what happened in that bar is not befitting someone of such an important role. I try to, and usually succeed but sometimes fail, to treat people with differing views with respect and engage in rational and civilised debate – maybe you should try that too. Anyway, he doesn’t need me to stick up for him he’s more than capable of that himself….
And by the way, Eric has now been charged with common assault.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7Z2KKBHSH4VQSKABV7ZSI3CVDQ WILLIAM
Guilty before he’s been tried eh Jonathan? You read a lot of Mein Kampf do you?
Hugh
Excellent! The purest example of Goodwin’s law I’ve ever seen.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7Z2KKBHSH4VQSKABV7ZSI3CVDQ WILLIAM
‘ but most agree that what happened in that bar is not befitting someone of such an important role’.
You were there were you?

http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts
Bound to happen sooner or later! Law of averages and all that haha.

http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
I think you’re living a little too much in media whirlwind with this:
”If a Tory MP had gotten drunk, shouted ‘there’s too many Labour MPs in here’ and then started headbutting them, this site would be full of outraged contributers berating the evils of ‘the nasty party’”
Surely, most on this site would have wished they were present so as to assist in the restoration of order.

Daniel Speight
Didn’t Manny Shinwell once slap a Tory in the chamber? Did he get suspended from the party?
derek
There’s a wider issue here? the whole nation is at boiling point due to this tory led governments actions, violent crime is on the rise, we’ve had the London riots, people are losing their homes and jobs, families are struggling to have a daily meal and keep their homes warm. Greece, Libya, Egypt are all suffering form austerity and their societies have exploded. Politics isn’t helping to resolve the problems as MP’s are faced with a barrage of daily sos calls.I call on the parliament to have an emergency debate on this issue and the wider growing anger that is awaiting to overspill into every corner of our society.

Winston_from_the_Ministry
Derek I don’t think you can really lump Greece in with Libya and Syria.
Not with a straight face.

derek
Of course I can? these nations share a common bond, their peoples are opposing their governments failings.

Winston_from_the_Ministry
As far as I am aware the protests in Libya and Syria were related to authoritarianism rather than austerity.

derek
No, Egypt and Libya were protesting against youth unemployment, standards of living and education.

treborc
The problem is of course look at Libya, look at Iraq look at the countries who have over thrown Tyrants, the problem is they are so mixed up with different factions now fighting to lead the country another Tyrant is just around the corner.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-OConnor/100000837891021 Joe O’Connor
Well said Derek. What you have said definitely resonates imho. Of course the role of the Lib Dems and their blatant duplicity is another explosive mix in this scenario.

Hugh
Yes, quite right, the clear lesson from a Labour MP smashing up the place and assaulting colleagues and opposition members (allegedly) is that we urgently need to examine the appalling behaviour of the Tories. And I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the clear lesson from a Tory MP going on a drunken rampage would be an urgent need to examine the appalling behaviour of the Tories.
Remember kids: It’s not the crime that counts; it’s the ideological purity or otherwise of the perpetrator that’s important.

http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
Well, that’s the most cynical post I’ve ever seen on this site.
And to think: impressionable youngsters may happen upon your post during the many hours spent “surfing the web”, as they like to call it.
And here you are, addressing them directly, telling them: “It’s not the crime that counts”. Certainly, I don’t expect much in the way of common sense and moral illumination from you, but this time you’ve plumbed the depths of irresponsibility.
DISGRACEFUL.

Hugh
If there are kids reading this site, I’m afraid it’s already too late for them.
Winston_from_the_Ministry
As evidenced on this very thread

treborc
Even if that Tory was young, elderly, or a women, seems your the type of person/Socialist I would not like to much.

Franwhi
There is absolutely no link with your points and this behaviour – from a man who earns about four times the nat minimum wage before hefty expenses. He’s part of the problem – not the solution. Scottish Labour have a track record of boorish behaviour – remember Ian Davidson told a woman MP she’d “get a doin” – fraternity – I don’t think so !

derek
@Fran, there really is no differentials in violence? I’m not condoning the action? I’m merely expressing the thought that violence in general is on the rise due to severe austerity measures.

OldGraduateandStaff
Eric is the only man left in the party who truly believes in the class war. Respect.

Winston_from_the_Ministry
Pity would be more appropriate.
AlanGiles
I don’t think the Major is Woolfie Smith. He was a great supporter of the Iraq war, and a close confidante of John Hutton, the ex-Conservative “Labour” MP and minister, he is also one of the biggest expenses claimants.

treborc
He started off as a private and worked his way up we should not knock any working class person for fighting his way up through the ranks of the army it’s bloody hard work when your families position means so much.

treborc
We have a good solid group of Labour lefties in Labour John McDonnell is just one, down by me we have an MP who only ever claims £5,000 in expenses his train fare, he travels home and to work by train each day, he is another, we have many MP’s in labour who are solid working class.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Paul-Barker/1546990341 Paul Barker
The thing that finally made me leave The Labour Party after 8 years as a member was the culture of exagerated & warped Masculinity, often mixed with class prejudice. There was a confused idea that Working-Class values were tied in with being , or admiring “Real Men”. That naturally involved heavy drinking, casual violence & contempt for women.
I dont see that much has changed since I left.

http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
But how does our choice of leader square with your “heavy drinking”, “casual violence” and “contempt for women”?
treborc
I do know Joyce served in the army in Ireland, and I do know he had a few other tours, not sure of his active service record but Ireland alone would be enough for him to have had problems. Many Military have serious problems after service and especially with drink.
I think we will need to give him the benefit until we find out the facts.

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