1. Eric Joyce resigned from the army under threat of discharge in 1999 at the rank of major after being found to have broken Queen's Regulations.
37 Facts About Eric Joyce
1. 2.
Eric Joyce then worked as the Public Affairs Officer at the Commission for Racial Equality.
3.
Eric Joyce was first elected to the British House of Commons in the 2000 Falkirk West by-election.
4.
From 2003, Eric Joyce served as a parliamentary private secretary to several UK government ministers.
5.
Eric Joyce resigned as the PPS to Bob Ainsworth on 3 September 2009, citing concerns over the war in Afghanistan.
6.
Eric Joyce served as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland under Ed Miliband from June to November 2010.
7.
Eric Joyce was arrested five times during his last five years as an MP, most notably in February 2012 on suspicion of assault after an incident in the Houses of Parliament.
8.
Eric Joyce continued representing his constituency as an independent until retiring at the 2015 general election.
9.
On 7 July 2020, Eric Joyce pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to making an indecent image of a child.
10.
Eric Joyce lived in Perth, Scotland, with his family for most of his childhood and adolescence.
11.
Eric 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 in Religious Studies from Stirling University.
12.
Eric Joyce was promoted to captain on 25 January 1990 and to major in 1992.
13.
Eric Joyce continued to speak out about how he perceived the army to the disapproval of his superiors.
14.
At a hearing in January 1999 which invoked the Pay Warrant rules, Eric Joyce was requested to resign from the army by 13 March or be discharged.
15.
Eric Joyce resigned his commission on 12 March 1999 and left the army,.
16.
Eric Joyce subsequently served on the staff of the Commission for Racial Equality before his election to the House of Commons.
17.
Eric Joyce was first elected to parliament at the 2000 Falkirk West by-election, which was prompted by the resignation of Dennis Canavan.
18.
Eric Joyce retained his seat in the 2001 general election, and was elected to the enlarged Falkirk constituency in the 2005 general election.
19.
From 2003 Eric Joyce served as a parliamentary private secretary to a number of British Government ministers.
20.
Eric Joyce resigned as the Parliamentary Aide to Bob Ainsworth on 3 September 2009 citing concerns over the war in Afghanistan.
21.
Eric Joyce 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.
22.
Eric Joyce 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.
23.
In September 2008, Eric Joyce was criticised by local government councillors for describing the name of the new Clackmannanshire Bridge as "unimaginative" and "parochial".
24.
Eric Joyce was not a member of any Parliamentary Select Committees at the end of his time in the Commons, but has been a member of several public bill committees.
25.
Eric Joyce resigned from his position as Shadow Northern Ireland Minister and apologised for his behaviour.
26.
On 22 February 2012 Eric Joyce was arrested in the Palace of Westminster on suspicion of committing assault.
27.
Eric Joyce was reported to have attacked as many as six politicians, including a Labour whip, after having gone "berserk" following a dispute with a group of Tory MPs sitting nearby.
28.
Eric Joyce headbutted and punched the Conservative MP Stuart Andrew after striking Labour Assistant Whip Phil Wilson while Wilson was attempting to restrain him.
29.
Eric Joyce headbutted Thurrock Conservative councillor Ben Maney and punched Basildon Conservative Councillor Luke Mackenzie, both of whom were attempting to break up the incident.
30.
Eric Joyce was seen outside the bar wrestling on the floor with two police officers and reportedly had one of the officers in a headlock.
31.
On 17 October 2014, Eric Joyce was arrested after clashing with a teenager at a store in Camden, in London.
32.
Eric Joyce was charged with two counts of common assault and one count of criminal damage.
33.
Eric Joyce appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London on 30 December 2014, where he pleaded not guilty and was given conditional bail to appear for trial.
34.
On 19 May 2013, Eric Joyce was arrested at Edinburgh Airport after police were called to an altercation between him and airline staff regarding a mislaid mobile phone.
35.
Eric Joyce was reported to have struggled with police officers before being restrained on the ground and handcuffed.
36.
On 6 November 2018, Eric Joyce was arrested and charged with having made an indecent image of a child.
37.
Eric Joyce is in a long-term relationship with the writer India Knight.