Sorry Mess


The Labour party's handling of the Eric Joyce affair is looking more cynical by the day. 

No action was taken against the member for Falkirk over his extravagant expenses claims - which saw him routinely at the top of the Westminster league table for expenses - one of his few accomplishments.

Joyce's conviction for drink driving in 2010 was conveniently ignored - when it should have acted as a warning sign that all was not well.

The same pattern of behaviour was evident with the neighbouring Labour MP for Livingston - Jim Devine - who lost his driving licence soon after being elected to Westminster - and eventually ended up in jail over his MP's expenses claims.

Yet only when Eric Joyce became a real liability to Labour - did anonymous party sources suddenly start putting the boot in and trash his name.

Only then did other alcohol-fuelled incidents from Joyce's past start appearing in the press - as well as a supposed relationship with a young Labour party supporter.


To cap it all sources within the party yesterday made it clear that Eric Joyce will definitely be expelled from the Labour 'family' - once an internal disciplinary hearing takes place.

Incredibly the MP for Falkirk has been pronounced guilty before any Labour charges are laid - but he seems to have taken party officials by surprise - caught them on the hop.

By pleading guilty to various charges of assault at the first opportunity - instead of dragging things out for months and wasting the court's time as other Labour MPs did - when charged with fiddling their expenses.


So Eric Joyce has now been cut adrift by Labour in a calculated fashion - whereas the party has been turning a blind eye to this kind of behaviour for years.

The odds are that this will encourage the MP to respond in an equally cynical fashion.

Joyce will almost certainly hold on to his Falkirk seat for as long as he can - to maximise his earnings, pension and 'golden goodbye' - to which all MPs are entitled to when they finally leave office.

But the whole business is a sorry mess - which brings more than just one individual Labour member into disrepute.

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