Simon Danczuk Money Hypocrisy

Back in the news this week, and partly not of his own volition, has come Rochdale’s nominally Labour MP Simon Danczuk, to demonstrate a flexibility of principle that comes with the sheer shamelessness of his behaviour. Despite having raked in more than £100K in the past year, he wanted the world to know that he was skint, or at least so skint that he was unable to Do The Right Thing by his family.

Still representing Labour. Perhaps

As Rochdale Online has reported, “Rochdale MP Simon Dancuk has refused to help pay towards the cost of his son's university accommodation. George Danczuk, 18, is due to start at Sheffield University next week and his mother, Mr Danczuk's first wife, Sonia Rossington, asked Mr Danczuk to contribute towards the cost of George's accommodation”. So what was The Great Man’s reason for declining?

“George also contacted his father and asked for his help; Mr Danczuk responded by asking George why he has waited this long to contact him and refusing to help citing a lack of money as his reason”. The MP added “This is a private issue which amounts to little more than a disagreement over family finances. Airing this matter publicly is intrusive, serves no public interest and in no way relates to Simon’s role as Rochdale’s MP”.

To sup with one Kipper may be regarded as a misfortune ...

And to that I say Au Contraire: the voters of Rochdale need to know what kind of person is soliciting their vote when General Elections come round. Moreover, Simon Danczuk citing intrusion, after he and now estranged second wife Karen invited the Sunday Times to, er, intrude upon their private lives, is, as the late John Smith might have put it, a bit rich. There is also the matter of just how skint he really is, or not.

Simon Danczuk has, so far this year, declared - and note that he has, in the past, not always been the quickest to make those declarations - around £33,000 in “outside earnings”, that being in addition to his MP’s salary of £74,000 (MPs are also in line for a significant pay rise). This has included being paid at a rate of £2,000 an hour by the Murdoch press, and £1,000 an hour by the Mail.

... to sup with two looks like carelessness

His MP’s expenses have included paying now-estranged wife Karen for hundreds of hours of overtime, although this has now ceased, after he terminated her employment. And he has sufficient funds to be able to socialise with UKIP supremo Nigel “Thirsty” Farage and his one MP Douglas “Kamikaze” Carswell, the latter encounter apparently taking place in the Britons Protection pub in Manchester, so Danczuk had no excuse for drinking lager.

With that kind of money rolling in, what is stopping Simon Danczuk from stepping up to the plate and chipping in for young George’s student digs? Is Karen’s problem with stumping up the rent for the now-defunct Danczuk’s Deli also impacting on him? Whatever the reason for his refusal, Rochdale’s MP might find that his apparent tightfistedness will win him few friends in his constituency, even if he starts being loyal to his own party.

If he decides to jump ship and join the Kippers, it will be much, much worse.