Simon Danczuk’s Office Sell-Out

The Manchester Evening News last week told its readers “Simon Danczuk WILL stand to be an MP in the general election - as an independent candidate”. Was this a serious campaign? It was certainly presented that way: “He … said a vote for him is a vote against Jeremy Corbyn … His nomination papers were submitted and accepted by Rochdale Council’s election team on Tuesday”. And there was more.

The Murdoch Sun, after mentioning the non-trivial matter of another rape complaint that has been made against the now former MP, asserted “in an act of ­defiance, Mr Danczuk yesterday confirmed for the first time that he will stand as an ind­epen­dent MP in Rochdale … The dad of four will take on left-wing Labour re­p­la­cement Tony Lloyd … New Labour stalwart Mr Danczuk won his seat with a healthy 12,442 majority in 2015, but was infuriated by the party’s surge to the left under leader Jeremy Corbyn”.

Yeah, right. Had the Murdoch goons done their research - I know, contradiction in terms - they would have found out that “New Labour” Danczuk slagged off Tony Blair just like he’s slagged off all Labour leaders since. And not all media outlets took Danczuk’s reasoning for standing against his old party at face value.

The excellent Rochdale Online noted “The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has confirmed that if Simon Danczuk is not re-elected he will receive a loss of office payment of over £10,000. As the payment is available only to those who contest their seat and lose, had he not stood he would receive nothing … A spokesman for IPSA said: ‘An MP with seven years of service could expect to receive a payment of up to £10,269’”.

And that wasn’t all: “Winding-up expenses are available to MPs when they leave Parliament. If Danczuk is not re-elected as MP, he can also claim expenses of up to £53,950 … Councillor Allen Brett, who until recently was Mr Danczuk's election agent, told Rochdale Online that Danczuk standing as an Independent ‘is all about money’”. Was Spanker really serious about being a candidate? It seems he may not be.

We know this as information has arrived on Zelo Street showing Simon Danczuk is less than serious about the General Election. Local estate agents Ryder Dutton now have a property in Rochdale town centre on the market for a modest £120,000, described as “Office/ Retail Premises … Three Storey … Currently achieving £9000 PA rental income … Tenant Vacating End of July 2017”. And where might this be?

“26 St Marys Gate Rochdale, OL16 1DZ”. And why might the tenant be vacating it? “The premises have been occupied by the constituency MP but will be vacated at the end of July 2017”. There is even a photo helpfully spelling out the name of that constituency MP - Simon Danczuk. That’s how serious a candidate he is - serious enough to be clearing out of his Rochdale office. There is only one question remaining.

Would the property be sold along with that table over which Spanker humped one of his recent conquests? Whatever. Simon Danczuk - as ever, only in it for the money.