Falkirk MP Eric Joyce truly is a conviction politician ("Joyce to stay as MP despite new conviction", The Herald, April 21).
His decision to soldier on until the next General Election because "most [constituents] shrug their shoulders and say 'these things happen'", is ignoble.
"These things" refers to a drink-driving offence, headbutting a Tory MP in a House of Commons bar and using threatening behaviour towards Edinburgh airport staff. If me, you or a boy named Sue even lifted a pinky or raised our dulcet tones towards a colleague, client or customer, we would be shown the door quicker than you could say my home town's motto: "Better meddle wi' the Devil, than the Bairns of Falkirk".
Of course, his decision to stand and fight his corner has nothing to do with the handsome salary, generous pension and spiralling expenses (he topped the list in both 2006 and 2007 raking in a not-to-be-sniffed-at £174,000 and £187,000 respectively).
Given Mr Joyce's obvious fondness for excessive drinking, it is understandable that his "power of recall" is not as sharp as it once was. However his unruly behaviour and shameful decision to slug it out is reason enough alone to introduce legislation which would give constituents a greater "power of recall" over MPs whose behaviour falls far short of the high standards expected of those who hold public office.
Peter Callaghan,
0/1, 115 Dalness Street,
Glasgow.
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