 | 'The 56-year-old is still a member of the House of Lords - it is not clear whether he will will attend there in the immediate future.ÊThere is speculation he will copy Lord Archer and write about his prison experiences.' Scotland Today, 23 rd May 2006 |  |
Disgraced Labour peer Lord Watson has been freed from prison after spending eight months behind bars.Ê The former MSP was jailed for 16 months in September for starting a fire at a top Edinburgh Hotel after a heavy drinking session at an awards ceremony.
Lord Watson walked out of prison and into the custody of reporters from a tabloid newspaper. It was an undignified exit but his motive was easy to imagine - the disgraced peer is out of a job - and his future employment prospects look pretty bleak.
Watson served half of a 16 month prison sentence for setting fire to curtains inside an Edinburgh hotel after a political wards ceremony. He was so drunk at the time he could not remember doing it.
Initially Watson denied starting the fire but he later pled guilty and resigned as an MSP. His lawyers said he had trouble with alcohol and had been distressed over the loss of his unborn child.
The 56-year-old is still a member of the House of Lords - it is not clear whether he will will attend there in the immediate future.ÊThere is speculation he will copy Lord Archer and write about his prison experiences.Ê
Lord Watson is expected to leave Scotland and start a new life in London with his wife Claire.
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