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Andrew Scheer: Eric Joyce's Alleged Headbutt Nearly Witnessed By Canada's Speaker

Canada's Speaker Narrowly Misses British Bar Brawl
CP

Canada’s Speaker of the House of Commons was in London to study British parliamentary procedure but narrowly missed receiving a lesson in MP bar brawls.

Speaker Andrew Scheer was invited to join UK MPs at the Strangers Bar in the British House of Commons Wednesday evening where Labour MP Eric Joyce is alleged to have headbutted Tory MP Pudsey Stuart Andrew and attacked several other Conservatives.

Joyce was arrested by police and suspended from the Labour Party.

The Strangers Bar is reserved for British MPs and their guests. (Canadian MPs do not enjoy such amenities). Scheer was a guest of Tory MP Andrew Percy, The Huffington Post UK’s political editor Chris Wimpress said.

The MP from Saskatchewan, who was elected Speaker last June, was at the bar with his wife, Jill, an aide and two of his four children.

Scheer's office confirmed Thursday afternoon, that the Speaker wasn't a witness to the fight.

"He was there as a guest earlier in the evening. He left quite early and read about the incident in the morning papers," Scheer's spokeswoman Heather Bradley told The Huffington Post Canada.

According to a press release issued last week, Scheer is in London for a three-day trip leading a parliamentary delegation composed of Assistant Deputy Speakers Bruce Stanton and Barry Devolin, Deputy Speaker Denise Savoie and the Clerk of the House of Commons Audrey O’Brien.

“The purpose of the visit is to learn more about recent procedural and administrative developments at the British House of Commons. In addition to providing an opportunity for the delegates to exchange views with their counterparts on their roles in the Chamber, it will afford an opportunity to promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy and the development of parliamentary institutions,” the press release states.

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