Eric Joyce denies alcoholism after ‘brawl’ arrest
FALKIRK MP Eric Joyce has claimed he is not an alcoholic, just 48 hours after being arrested by London police over an alleged drunken brawl at a House of Commons bar.
The 52-year-old spent Thursday night in custody at Belgravia police station over his involvement in an altercation at a karaoke night at the Sports and Social Club.
The arrest follows a conviction for assault last year. Joyce resigned from the Labour Party after headbutting Tory rivals Stuart Andrew and Ben Maney in a Commons bar last February.
Joyce defended his reputation in an online blog posted yesterday, saying: “I am not, and never have been, an alcoholic. I did, briefly, go through an unhappy period where I drank heavily. That ended 12 months ago, overnight, with the dreadful incident in Strangers for which I still feel genuine remorse in respect of those affected.
“I have spent the past 12 months making a concerted effort to address the causes of that incident. I do not go into bars, nor drink in my office. Nor do I inject alcohol right into my eyeballs while crying.
“My difficulties in the past have not extended from alcohol abuse per se.”
Joyce rejected claims he was suffering from “post-traumatic stress”, adding: “I was not drunk last Thursday. I had consumed, by any standards, a very modest amount of alcohol. I was examined by a nurse after being arrested. I was pronounced fit for interview. I did not need to ‘sleep it off’. I gave a statement immediately.”