Eric Joyce Eric Stuart Joyce ( born 13 October 1960 ) is a British politician , who has been a Member of Parliament ( MP ) since 2000 , and has been the MP for Falkirk since 2005 . Joyce served as a private in the Black Watch before attending University and subsequently receiving a commission in the Royal Army Educational Corps . He left the army in 1999 at the rank of major and served as the Public Affairs Officer at the Commission for Racial Equality ( Scotland ) . He was elected to Parliament in the 2000 Falkirk West by - election as a member of the Labour Party , retaining his seat in the 2001 general election , and elected to the enlarged Falkirk constituency in the 2005 general election . From 2003 , Joyce served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary ( PPS ) to a number of UK government ministers . He resigned as the PPS to Bob Ainsworth on 3 September 2009 citing concerns over the war in Afghanistan . Joyce was suspended from the Labour Party in 2012 after he was arrested on suspicion of assault , and on 12 March 2012 , having pleaded guilty , resigned from the party . In March 2013 he was once again arrested on suspicion of assault , but not prosecuted . Both incidents took place in a House of Commons bar and were related to alcohol . The selection of a replacement candidate has caused the 2013 Labour Party Falkirk candidate selection row , an internal NEC report into which has now been referred to the Scottish Police Service . Early life and education . Joyce lived in Perth with his family for most of his childhood and adolescence . Joyce joined the Army in 1978 , initially as a private in the Black Watch before taking a sabbatical between 1981 and 1987 to attend technical college and university where he gained a BA ( Hons ) in religious studies from University of Stirling . As a university candidate Joyce was made a probationary second lieutenant on 25 August 1987 . In 1987 he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before being commissioned into the Royal Army Educational Corps ( later Adjutant General ' s Corps ) as a subaltern with seniority to the 7 October 1981 . After receiving his commission he continued his studies part - time and acquired an MA in Education from the University of Bath and an MBA from Keele University . During his time in the army he served in Great Britain , Northern Ireland , Germany and Central America . He was promoted to captain on 25 January 1990 and to major in 1992 . He left the army , by resigning his commission on 12 March 1999 , amid controversy after describing the armed forces as " racist , sexist and discriminatory , " before going on to serve as the Public Affairs Officer at the Commission for Racial Equality ( Scotland ) . Political career . He was first elected to parliament in the 2000 Falkirk West by - election , which was prompted by the resignation of Dennis Canavan . On election he served as a member of the Scottish Affairs and the Procedures Select Committees at Westminster . Joyce retained his seat in the 2001 general election , and was elected to the enlarged Falkirk constituency in the 2005 general election . At each general election , Joyce has increased his majority , although his percentage share of the public vote fell at the 2005 election . From 2003 Joyce served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary ( PPS ) to a number of British Government ministers . He resigned as the Parliamentary Aide to Bob Ainsworth on 3 September 2009 citing concerns over the war in Afghanistan . He had previously been PPS to John Hutton during three of Hutton ' s cabinet posts : when he was the Secretary of State for Defence ; Secretary of State for Business , Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions . Prior to that , Joyce served as the parliamentary aide to ministers Mike O ' Brien MP , when O ' Brien was the Minister for Energy at the Department of Trade and Industry and Margaret Hodge MP , Minister for Industry and the Regions at the Department of Trade and Industry . Joyce has persuaded the Treasury to change the child benefit regulations to remove a discrepancy that disadvantaged young Scottish FE students relative to their peers in the rest of the UK . In April 2008 Joyce became the first European parliamentarian to be granted an opportunity to address the newly formed Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , when he visited the DRC as the chair of the all - party parliamentary group on the Great Lakes Region of Africa with other members of the group . In September 2008 , Joyce was criticised by local government councillors for describing the name of the new Clackmannanshire Bridge as " unimaginative " and " parochial " . The naming of the bridge was reported as a contentious matter . He is also the author of a Fabian pamphlet titled " Arms and the Man : renewing the armed services " , edited " Now ' s the Hour ! : new thinking for Holyrood " and has served as Chair of the National Executive of the Fabian Society . In September 2011 he contributed to the book " What next for Labour ? Ideas for a new Generation " ; his piece was entitled " It ' s a Sin " . Parliamentary record . Joyce most often puts his questions in the House of Commons chamber to the Scotland Office , Department for International Development , Foreign and Commonwealth Office , Northern Ireland Office , and Ministry of Defence . While a Parliamentary Private Secretary Joyce was expected to vote with the Government , but even when not , he has not broken the Labour whip in Parliament . Joyce is not currently a member of any Parliamentary Select Committees but has been a member of several public bill committee s . Joyce , along with fellow MPs Tom Harris and Jo Swinson , regularly uses the social networking tool Twitter during Parliamentary business including the Prime Minister ' s Questions to encourage constituents to feel involved with parliamentary proceedings . Despite such activities being permitted under parliamentary rules , the MPs in question have received criticism from some sections of the media for what is perceived to be a lack of participation in the parliamentary proceedings while they are using the social networking tools . Joyce is an advocate of new media in politics . He regularly blogs on current issues concerning House of Commons and the Government . He regularly communicates with the public on Twitter and his blog . Expenses claims . Joyce was the top - claiming Member of the House of Commons for the 2005 – 06 Parliamentary session , claiming £174 , 811 in expenses , of which 62 % was for staff and office costs . After the 2005 – 06 Parliamentary session he made a public pledge to cut his expenses ; during the 2006 – 07 session he moved down to 11th on the list of MPs ' expenses and allowances , but again rose to the top for 2007 – 08 with £187 , 334 . Joyce was the first MP to claim more than £1 million cumulatively in expenses . In October 2007 he claimed £180 for three oil paintings . When asked why he had used taxpayers ' funds in such a way he replied " because they look nice . " In May 2009 , tabloids reported Joyce was seeking advice from HM Revenue and Customs regarding £40 , 000 in unpaid capital gains tax on the sale of his London home , which he had designated as his second home under the Second Homes Allowance scheme . The house had been sold for a £133 , 000 profit . When asked what he would do were he asked to pay the overdue tax , Joyce stated he would " suck it and see . " Alleged relationship . The " Daily Record " on 1 March 2012 reported that Joyce had had a relationship with a seventeen - year - old schoolgirl who had worked for his 2010 general election campaign . The MP , a father of two , had separated from his second wife before the May 2010 election . Of the alleged affair Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said : " This is a man who has abused his position of power and authority . I ’ m disgusted : regardless of any other issues , I think this makes Eric Joyce unfit to stand for the Labour Party . " In response Joyce said he would step down at the next general election . Arrests . Drink driving . In September 2008 Joyce was banned from driving for six months after clocking up 12 points on his driving licence . On 18 November 2010 Joyce was arrested for failing to provide a breath test following a motoring incident in Falkirk . He pleaded guilty in court the following day and was fined £400 and banned from driving for a year . Joyce resigned from his position as Shadow Northern Ireland Minister and apologised for his behaviour . Assaults in the Houses of Parliament . Joyce was arrested at 22 : 50 on 22 February 2012 in the Palace of Westminster by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of committing assault . He was described as having gone " berserk " , hitting " at least three MPs , including a Labour whip " . He headbutted and punched the Conservative MP , Stuart Andrew , after hitting Labour Assistant Whip , Phil Wilson , while Wilson was attempting to restrain him . He also assaulted Basildon Conservative Councillor , Luke Mackenzie , and Thurrock Conservative Councillor , Ben Maney , both of whom were attempting to break up the incident . Two Conservative MPs , Alec Shelbrooke and Jackie Doyle - Price , were also caught up in the fracas whilst attempting to intervene and calm Joyce down . A door window was smashed as Joyce attempted to resist arrest before being removed by police and taken to Belgravia police station . The disturbance occurred at the Strangers ' Bar ( reserved for MPs and their guests ) . Suspended the following day from the Labour party after his arrest , on 23 February he was charged with three counts of common assault and released on police bail . A fourth charge was added on 9 March . Fined £3 , 000 and ordered to pay £1 , 400 in compensation to his victims , he avoided a custodial sentence . He later stated that he intended to complete his current term as an MP . In a statement before the House of Commons on 12 March 2012 , he apologised personally to his victims , stated that he had resigned from the Labour Party , and that he intended to complete his current term as an MP but not seek re - election . In August 2012 , Joyce was back in Court after using scissors on 4 July 2012 to remove the electronic tag that was attached to his leg as part of his punishment . The tag had been attached as part of the community order . He was fined £600 . A year later , on 14 March 2013 , Joyce was again arrested following reports of an altercation in the sports and social bar of the House of Commons . In light of it being his second alcohol related incident on House of Commons premises , the following day Joyce was given an indefinite ban by the Office of the Speaker from purchasing and being served alcoholic beverages from all Palace of Westminster premises , including its eight bars . Joyce was released under police bail from Belgravia police station the same day , when it was revealed that he was also facing a charge of Actual Bodily Harm . Prosecutors ultimately took no action against him . Airport . On 19 May 2013 Joyce was involved in a disagreement with airline staff and police at Edinburgh airport regarding a mislaid mobile phone . There were conflicting reports about the incident . Personal life . Joyce separated from his second wife in 2008 . The couple have two children .