Simon Danczuk Becomes A Real MP

There was no money-generating opinion column in either the Sunday Sun or the Mail On Sunday last weekend by Rochdale’s nominally Labour MP Simon Danczuk. Those columns - apparently written by the MP’s returning sidekick Matt Baker, with the proceeds split 50/50 between them - had become something of a fixture, but recent revelations, coupled with Danczuk’s alleged greed, put an end to them.

Not even the Murdoch and Rothermere press was willing to give a platform to someone occupying the moral high ground on the one hand, while being caught “sexting” a 17 year old girl, accused of a series of dirty tricks, and having to answer an historical accusation of rape on the other. And both media empires were not prepared to be played off against one another just to give Danczuk bigger paydays.

So there he was, with only an MP’s salary and all those expenses to sustain him. What was he to do now? The answer came yesterday as Simon Danczuk launched his own blog. Written by him. And not by Matt Baker. “David Cameron’s housing clearance proposal is more about prime real estate than ‘sink estates’” was the title of the first post. And it was actually about issues in his own constituency.

There was no attack on Jeremy Corbyn. No recycled gossip from Parliamentary Labour Party meetings (and nor could there be, as the party has suspended him). No telling how many evenings out he’d been enjoying of late. No staged photos down the pub or club. No pretence of helping out in nearby by-elections. No, this was about ordinary people concerned about having a roof over their heads.

And then a thought occurred: wasn’t this what he was elected to do? Why, yes it was! He was weighing in on behalf of those living on the Falinge Estate in Rochdale? Very good - that’s part of his job (as opposed to getting carried away with his crusade against his predecessor Cyril Smith, to the extent that the resulting book ended up tarnished by a totally made up story about Northants Police).

Is there still a chance he might make up with all those in the local Labour Party whose patience he has so sorely tested for so long? Like his long-suffering agent Allen Brett, whose mountain on complaints about Danczuk’s behaviour long ago went past the three-figure mark? Because he will have to do some serious bridge-building between now and 2020 if he wants to be considered as Labour candidate in Rochdale again.

Or, rather more likely, is this man-of-the-people and grassroots politician persona nothing more than a brief interlude before the return of the big money press paydays? Simon Danczuk enjoys being an MP, but gives every impression that he enjoys being the centre of attention in the Westminster village even more.

What he may find out very soon is that his latest attempt to be seen to do his job is too little and too late. Simon Danczuk could have already passed the point of no return.