Danczuk Ultimate Expenses Hypocrisy

Last May, as the Labour leadership campaign got under way, Rochdale’s nominally Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who had declared his support for Liz Kendall, decided to casually smear then-front runner Andy Burnham over his expenses. To this end, he approvingly quoted an attack in the Sun. But there was a problem: despite being a mere back-bencher, Danczuk’s expenses were way more than Burnham was claiming.

As I noted at the time, his “claims came in at over £1,000 more than Burnham’s. The Manchester Evening News also noted that “Mr Danczuk's wife Karen is a case worker for him on a wage of between £25,000 and £29,999”. One wonders how she managed to fit it all in, what with being a councillor and businesswoman as well. And Danczuk’s accommodation claims were almost £9,000 greater than Burnham’s”.

That was despite Danczuk making an election issue out of defending Lib Dem Paul Rowen’s expenses during the 2010 campaign. It gets worse: eyebrows were raised when it was revealed his now ex-wife Karen had been paid for 621 hours of overtime - paid out of the public purse - despite allegedly also being a Councillor and running a business at the same time. Parliamentary watchdog IPSA is considering a further investigation.

All that was bad enough for the now-embattled MP, on top of his being caught “Sexting” a 17 year old girl, and having an historic allegation of rape made against him. But now the Sunday Mirror has, it seems, caught Danczuk bang to rights fiddling his expenses big time,  telling “Sex text MP Simon Danczuk 'claimed thousands in expenses for children he rarely sees’”. And how much would that be, then?

“IPSA’s records show that in 2014-15 he claimed £28,466.58 and declared four dependants including two children he had with his first wife … He last night admitted he ‘never read the rules’ relating to a parliamentary allowance and said he would return the money if the mistake is his”. That might be a big repayment.

Here’s why: “Parliamentary rules allow MPs a basic annual allowance of £20,600 for accommodation in London … They can get an extra £2,425 per year for each dependant that stays with them. IPSA’s records show that in 2014-15 he claimed £28,466.58 and declared four dependants. In 2013-14 it was £27,587.46, and in 2012-13 it was £29,261.62”. The qualification for “dependant” isn’t looking good for him.

“IPSA states dependants are people for whom MPs have caring responsibilities. The cash is paid if ‘the dependant routinely resides at the rented accommodation’ … An IPSA source said that typically covered children who stay during school holidays, or in term time if they are being educated in London”. But Danczuk rarely sees his two eldest children, and recently refused to help with his 18 year old son’s University accommodation costs.

But he’s claiming expenses for that eldest son! Worse, he might not be within the rules for his youngest two sons. MPs have in the past been jailed for expense fraud. So how’s that challenge to the Labour Party suspension coming along, then, Simon? No pressure.