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Sunday 27 December 2015

Simon Danczuk Abandons Flood Victims

December’s heavy rains returned yesterday, this time causing flooding not in Cumbria, the area that had been bracing itself for a third or even fourth clean-up in a month, but across Lancashire and Yorkshire. Many areas were inundated with surging rivers and there was widespread damage to properties. The floods even reached Manchester city centre. Also affected was the area around the Rover Roch.
This meant that the town of Rochdale was seriously affected by flooding. As the Manchester Evening News has told, “Parts of Rochdale were left under water after torrential rain caused flooding across Greater Manchester … Rochdale town centre was submerged on Boxing Day after heavy rain overnight, causing damage to homes and businesses as well as travel disruption”. There was more.
Ian Pemberton, 26, described how his cafe, called Grandma Millie, had been virtually destroyed when floodwaters ripped through Rochdale town centre”. Someone whose now-estranged wife used to run a a cafĂ© would, one might expect, have some empathy with the unfortunate Mr Pemberton. Rochdale’s nominally Labour MP Simon Danczuk had the ideal opportunity to show that he cared about his constituents.
He knew how bad it was

After all, he wasn’t one of those who had left the country for warmer climes over the Christmas and New Year break - he was there, in town, and demonstrated his presence and his concern by, er, going on BBC Radio Manchester to say how terrible the floods were. Wasn’t he getting out and about in the constituency? Well, no, but he was cheering everyone up by discussing the SunNation Christmas quiz.
So, yesterday evening, as the unfortunate residents of Rochdale, Littleborough and Milnrow began to count the cost of yet another bout of flooding, where was Danczuk? He had left town and travelled to Leyland, south of Preston, which was also affected by flooding. But he wasn’t bothering with that either: his sole reason for the trip was to go for a curry with his new squeeze Claire Hamilton.
Ms Hamilton is a councillor in Leyland, but it seems the flooding and its aftermath took second place to “Boxing Day drinks” with her new paramour. Yes, while the people they both represented began to clear up after what, for many of them, was the worst downpour they had ever seen, Simon Danczuk and Claire Hamilton were laughing the night away at “Leyland’s most prestigious curry venue for 28 years and counting”.
Many of those in the Rochdale and Leyland areas caught up in the floods won’t be able to even think of having a night out for long into the future. Their suffering might just have been assuaged by their local representatives showing a little concern for them - and showing their faces. Instead, Simon Danczuk has shown only contempt for his constituents by abandoning them for a night of personal gratification.

Thus more buyers’ remorse for those in Rochdale who voted Labour last May.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You would weep for the victims of this tragedy if you thought it would do any good. But it won't......it requires people in public life who not only care but who are willing to do something to help resolve the problems.

Danczuk has shown he is unfit for office. Not just on this occasion but on others too. It's for his constituency party to decide the appropriate action. I hope they take it. The fellow is an out and out disgrace.

Meanwhile, on a much more important level the victims are entitled to ask why a London government can find billions for that bloated and corrupt city's cross rail project, but not to defend the environmental safety of this nation. Even a tory Somerset MP said "London doesn't care" about previous floods in that constituency. Perhaps the scales are beginning to fall from they eyes of those so roundly betrayed.

Danczuck is a mere symptom of this cultural sickness. Matters will worsen until such time as he and his like are replaced. How much longer do we have to wait for honesty, fairness and decency to be established?

Anonymous said...

Very disappointing bevaviour from the town's MP. Wine and women seem to be his failing. Some voters may have empathised with some of his past weaknesses but as someone who has prided himself on being a man of the people on the doorstep he should have been sober and in his constituency helping out.
Thousands in Rochdale had no power for 2 days. Electricity Northwest arranged food trailers. Community spirit has been fantastic with clubs, churches and mosques all helping out.
You should hang your head in shame Simon. And that is coming from someone who has supported and defended you in the past.

Anonymous said...

Also an incredible faux pas by Simon following the Daily Heil line of blaming brown people abroad for our woes.
Simon's incredible dig at UK aid to Bangladesh is particularly mind bending given his track record of courting, nay grooming, the Bengali vote in Rochdale.
Pandering to UKIP yet also relying on questionable postal votes collected by the bucket full in questionable deals with certain elders. Now that IS having your cake AND eating it!
Shameless.

Anonymous said...

To counter what has been said, Mr Danczuk says that he was in Rochdale at 8am the following morning to have meetings about the flooding.
Had he had a drink the evening before? The cosy Noel photo with chestnuts roasting by a fire shows 2 large wine glasses in the foreground.
Perhaps he didn't drive after drinking. Perhaps his early departure back to Rochdale is why he got "dumped"?