A British lawmaker arrested on allegations he assaulted another legislator during a dust-up in a House of Commons bar has been suspended from the Labour Party, the party said yesterday.
Labour said Eric Joyce has been booted from the opposition party’s parliamentary caucus until police finish investigating the fracas at the Strangers Bar.
Police said they were called just before 11:00 pm Wednesday “to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons” and that they arrested a man in his 50s on suspicion of assault. Police said yesterday that the man remains in custody.
Police did not name the suspect, but House of Commons speaker John Bercow told lawmakers that “the honourable member for Falkirk has been detained in police custody”.
Media reports said Joyce was heard objecting to the number of Conservative Party members in the room before striking Conservative legislator Stuart Andrew. Andrew has not commented, apart from tweets in response to questions, saying “I’m OK.”
Joyce, who represents the Scottish constituency of Falkirk, served in the Army Education Corps before pursuing a career in politics.
In 2010, he stepped down as his party’s Northern Ireland spokesman after losing his driver’s licence for refusing to provide a breath test after a minor car accident.
The Strangers Bar is one of several watering holes inside the world-famous Parliament buildings. The bar, which offers views of the River Thames, is open to lawmakers and their guests.
Britain’s Parliament has long had a reputation as a hard-drinking place, though its bar culture has moderated since it adopted more “family friendly” hours a few years ago, with sittings starting earlier in the morning and ending earlier in the evening.
