Simon Danczuk Is Finished

[Update at end of post]

Rochdale’s nominally Labour MP Simon Danczuk has featured occasionally on Zelo Street: the dirty tricks deployed against former council leader Colin Lambert, Danczuk’s less than ecstatic reception at the recent Oldham West by-election campaign, his attacks on his own party leaders all the way back to Tony Blair, the paydays for all those tabloid articles which he probably didn’t write, his going on the lash rather than attend the Syria debate, and deserting his constituents during the floods, all have been covered.

So have episodes like that of Nasreen Nazir, said by his first wife Sonia to have been “an old flame”, and engaged at the taxpayers’ expense as a Parliamentary assistant, which leads us in to the unwanted exposure given Danczuk by the Super Soaraway Currant Bun this morning - the story has also been lifted by the Mail - of his apparent pursuit by text message of a young woman who was just 17 years old at the time.

Think about that. Danczuk is 49 years old. He campaigns on issues like child abuse. He has a son older than Sophena Houlihan, the subject of his latest attention. He can have no complaints at the Sun’s front page treatment: “Exclusive: Shame Of Labour Child Abuse Campaigner … MP’S SICK SEX TEXTS TO GIRL, 17 … Messages led to Danczuk love split”. Even for the ever-slippery Danczuk, that is a career-ending story.

The headlines make for yet more grim reading - well, grim for Danczuk anyway - with the Sun telling “Want me to spank you? MP Simon Danczuk, 49, sleazy texts to girl, 17 ... EXCLUSIVE: The MP, who had previously campaigned against child abuse, actively bombarded job-seeker Sophena Houlihan with slew of vile sex messages that professed how ‘horny’ he was”. Anyone not totally creeped out yet?

Not to worry, there’s an equally toe-curlingly embarrassing headline in the Mail: “Labour MP Simon Danczuk accused of bombarding a 17-year-old girl with sexual messages telling teenager 'God I'm horny' and asking: 'You want me to spank you?’” My information is that the Police interviewed Danczuk after an allegation of grooming was made.

The latest revelation comes after Rochdale Online told readers how Danczuk had taken photos of his now former wife Karen and his last squeeze Claire Hamilton kissing during a night out recently. And to that have to be added claims by both ex-wives and Ms Hamilton that Danczuk has a problem with his drinking that verges on alcoholism. However diligent his work as an MP, Simon Danczuk’s credibility is shot.

It’s interesting to see that Danczuk has one thing in common with his predecessor Cyril Smith: spanking. The only difference is that Smith liked doing it to young men, while Danczuk has expressed a preference for doing it to young women. And what he has now done is to learn, as in the fable of Icarus, of the dangers of getting too close to the Sun.

Simon Danczuk’s demise as MP for Rochdale won’t have anything to do with Jeremy Corbyn or “purges”. He wanted tabloid coverage - and his wish has been granted.

[UPDATE 1300 hours: the Labour Party has decided to investigate the latest allegations against Danczuk, and for the time being has suspended him. This will no doubt be spun by some as an act of revenge by the so-called "Corbynistas", although it is nothing of the sort.

What Rochdale's MP has decided to do, though, is obvious from his recent Twitter excursion: "Today's Sun story, while not entirely accurate, refers to an extremely low point in my life ... My behaviour was inappropriate & I apologise unreservedly to everyone I've let down. I was stupid & there's no fool like an old fool ... I'm more saddened that this episode could overshadow the important work we're doing to help Rochdale & that's where my focus lies".

Freely translated, this means that the Sun story isn't really true (questionable), that he's trying to be honest about his failings (first time for everything), and that he will continue to discharge his duty to his constituents.

Which means he is going to try and tough it out, shameless as ever. Exactly how long that lasts, with the inevitable slew of adverse publicity which will follow with the inevitability of night following day, will be interesting to see]