Eric Joyce denies alcoholism after ‘brawl’ arrest

FALKIRK MP Eric Joyce has claimed he is not an ­alcoholic, just 48 hours after being arrested by London police over an alleged drunken brawl at a House of Commons bar.

The 52-year-old spent Thursday night in custody at Belgravia police station over his involvement in an altercation at a karaoke night at the Sports and Social Club.

The arrest follows a conviction for assault last year. Joyce resigned from the ­Labour Party after head­butting Tory rivals Stuart Andrew and Ben Maney in a Commons bar last February.

Joyce defended his reputation in an online blog posted yesterday, saying: “I am not, and never have been, an alcoholic. I did, briefly, go through an unhappy period where I drank heavily. That ended 12 months ago, overnight, with the dreadful incident in Strangers for which I still feel genuine remorse in respect of those affected.

“I have spent the past 12 months making a concerted effort to address the causes of that incident. I do not go into bars, nor drink in my office. Nor do I inject alcohol right into my eyeballs while crying.

“My difficulties in the past have not extended from alcohol abuse per se.”

Joyce rejected claims he was suffering from “post-traumatic stress”, adding: “I was not drunk last Thursday. I had consumed, by any standards, a very modest amount of alcohol. I was examined by a nurse after being arrested. I was pronounced fit for interview. I did not need to ‘sleep it off’. I gave a statement immediately.”