Eric Joyce
Encyclopedia
Eric Stuart Joyce is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Falkirk
since 2005
. Joyce served as a Private
in the Black Watch
before attending University and subsequently rejoining the army as a commissioned officer. 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
, 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
.
with his family for most of his infant and teenage years.
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 2nd 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 in 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).
, 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.
Since 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. In September 2008 Joyce was banned from driving for six months after clocking up 12 points on his driving licence.
He is also the author of the 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
.
On 18th 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.
, 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 committees.
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 in WordPress
. He regularly communicates with the public on Twitter and his blog.
Joyce was the first MP to claim more than £1 million cumulatively in expenses. In October 2007 Joyce claimed £180 for three oil paintings. When asked why he had used taxpayer's 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 tabloids wrote that when asked what he would do were he asked to repay the money, Joyce stated he would "suck it and see."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Falkirk
Falkirk (UK Parliament constituency)
- References :...
since 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. Joyce served as a Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
before attending University and subsequently rejoining the army as a commissioned officer. He left the army in 1999 at the rank of Major and served as the Public Affairs Officer at the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
(Scotland). He was elected to parliament in the 2000 Falkirk West by-election
Falkirk West by-election, 2000
The Falkirk West by-election, 2000 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21 December 2000 for the Scottish constituency of Falkirk West.The vacancy was caused the resignation from the House of Commons of Dennis Canavan, the Member of Parliament for Falkirk West...
, retaining his seat in the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, and elected to the enlarged Falkirk constituency in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. From 2003, Joyce served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to a number of UK government ministers. He resigned as the PPS to Bob Ainsworth
Bob Ainsworth
Robert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010...
on 3 September 2009 citing concerns over the war in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
.
Early life and education
Joyce lived in PerthPerth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
with his family for most of his infant and teenage years.
Joyce joined the Army in 1978, initially as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
before taking a sabbatical between 1981 and 1987 to attend technical college and university where he gained a BA (Hons) in religious studies
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
from University of Stirling
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
. As a University candidate Joyce was made a probationary 2nd Lieutenant on 25 August 1987. In 1987 he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
before being commissioned into the Royal Army Educational Corps
Royal Army Educational Corps
The Royal Army Educational Corps was a corps of the British Army tasked with educating and instructing personnel in a diverse range of skills...
(later Adjutant General's Corps
Adjutant General's Corps
The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 people...
) 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
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
and an MBA from Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
. During his time in the army he served in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. He was promoted to Captain on 25 January 1990 and to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1992. He left the army in 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
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
(Scotland).
Political career
He was first elected to parliament in the 2000 Falkirk West by-electionFalkirk West by-election, 2000
The Falkirk West by-election, 2000 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21 December 2000 for the Scottish constituency of Falkirk West.The vacancy was caused the resignation from the House of Commons of Dennis Canavan, the Member of Parliament for Falkirk West...
, which was prompted by the resignation of Dennis Canavan
Dennis Canavan
Dennis Andrew Canavan is a Scottish politician, and was an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West.-Early life:He was born in Cowdenbeath....
. 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
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, and was elected to the enlarged Falkirk constituency in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. At each general election, Joyce has increased his majority, although his percentage share of the public vote fell at the 2005 election.
Since 2003 Joyce served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to a number of British Government ministers. He resigned as the Parliamentary Aide to Bob Ainsworth
Bob Ainsworth
Robert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010...
on 3 September 2009 citing concerns over the war in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. He had previously been PPS to John Hutton
John Hutton (Labour MP)
John Matthew Patrick Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria from 1992 to 2010, and has served in a number of Cabinet offices, including Defence Secretary and Business Secretary...
during three of Hutton's cabinet posts: when he was the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
; Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a post in the British Cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. It was created on 8 June 2001 by the merger of the Employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security.The Ministry...
. 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
Margaret Hodge
Margaret Hodge MBE MP, also known as Lady Hodge by virtue of her husband's knighthood, is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barking since 1994. She was the first Minister for Children in 2003 and was Minister of State for Culture and Tourism at the Department...
MP, Minister for Industry and the Regions at the Department of Trade and Industry.
Joyce has persuaded the Treasury to change the child benefit
Child benefit
Child benefit is a social security payment disbursed to the parents or guardians of children. Child benefit is means-tested in some countries.-Australia:...
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
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, when he visited the DRC as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
on the Great Lakes Region of Africa
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
with other members of the group. In September 2008, Joyce was criticised by local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal 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. In September 2008 Joyce was banned from driving for six months after clocking up 12 points on his driving licence.
He is also the author of the 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
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
.
On 18th November 2010 Joyce was arrested for failing to provide a breath test
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
following a motoring incident in Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
. 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.
Parliamentary record
Joyce most often puts his questions in the House of Commons chamber to the Scotland OfficeScotland Office
The Scotland Office is a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs...
, Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
, Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
, and Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. While a Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
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 committees.
Joyce, along with fellow MPs Tom Harris and Jo Swinson
Jo Swinson
Jo Swinson is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire constituency, a suburban and semi-rural area to the north of Glasgow in Scotland, and is the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats...
, regularly uses the social networking tool Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
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 in WordPress
WordPress
WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and publishing platform powered by PHP and MySQL. It is often customized into a content management system . It has many features including a plug-in architecture and a template system. WordPress is used by over 14.7% of Alexa Internet's "top 1...
. 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. Subsequently, during the 2006–07 Parliamentary Session, he moved down to 11th on the list of MPs' expenses and allowances. However, he once again rose to the top of the expenses list for the 2007–08 Parliamentary Session with £187,334.Joyce was the first MP to claim more than £1 million cumulatively in expenses. In October 2007 Joyce claimed £180 for three oil paintings. When asked why he had used taxpayer's 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
Capital gains tax
A capital gains tax is a tax charged on capital gains, the profit realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a lower price. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property...
on the sale of his London home, which he had designated as his second home under the Second Homes Allowance scheme. The tabloids wrote that when asked what he would do were he asked to repay the money, Joyce stated he would "suck it and see."
External links
- Eric Joyce, Official site on ePolitics
- Eric Joyce on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Eric Joyce MP on Ask Aristotle from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Falkirk survey Survey carried out by Eric Joyce that covered 1/5 of the households in his constituency