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Labour MP Simon Danczuk suspended over explicit text message allegations Labour MP Simon Danczuk suspended over explicit text message allegations
(35 minutes later)
MP Simon Danczuk’s membership of the Labour party has been suspended following allegations he sent sexually explicit messages to a 17-year-old girl, the party has announced. Labour MP Simon Danczuk has been suspended by the Labour party after it was alleged that he had sent sexually explicit text messages to a 17-year-old girl.
In a statement the party said: “The general secretary of the Labour party has today suspended Simon Danczuk’s membership of the party, pending an investigation into allegations published in the media today. According to a report in the Sun, Danczuk, who has been the Labour MP for Rochdale since 2010, sent the messages to 17-year-old Sophena Houlihan after she asked him for a job as a case worker in his constituency office.
The MP has been a prominent campaigner against child sexual exploitation and played a leading role in exposing his predecessor as MP for Rochdale, Sir Cyril Smith, as a paedophile.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “The general secretary of the Labour party has today suspended Simon Danczuk’s membership of the party, pending an investigation into allegations published in the media today.
“A full investigation will now take place under the authority of the national executive committee, which will be responsible for determining any further action.”“A full investigation will now take place under the authority of the national executive committee, which will be responsible for determining any further action.”
In a tweet Danczuk said: “My behaviour was inappropriate & I apologise unreservedly to everyone I’ve let down. I was stupid & there’s no fool like an old fool.” Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, speaking on a visit to see flood damage in York, said: “Simon has had his membership of the party suspended. He will now be investigated by the national executive.
This is a breaking news story, please check back for further updates “The decision was made this morning. The reasons are his conduct, which will now be investigated. I don’t want to say any more than that because I don’t want to prejudice the independent investigation. It is today’s incident, nothing else.”
Responding to the news of his suspension, the MP tweeted:
He later added:
Friends of Danczuk said that he never met the 17-year-old woman at the centre of the claims and point out that there was never a serious suggestion of an inappropriate relationship.
“In the history of parliamentary sex scandals, this is not a significant episode. Unless Corbyn is instilling a new moral code that he hasn’t mentioned before, Simon will be cleared,” the friend said.
Danczuk was widely praised for his work exposing Smith, the late paedophile Liberal MP who had formerly represented his constituency. He co-wrote a book on Smith and first named him as a child abuser in parliament, months before the police confirmed that the late MP should have been prosecuted over abuse claims.
However, Danczuk has also attracted criticism from the left of the party for his views on immigration and criticisms of Corbyn since his election as Labour leader.
Danczuk allegedly told Houlihan that he was “horny” and asked her if she wanted “spanking”.
Houlihan told the Sun: “When I first got in touch I never expected the messages to get so graphic. At the time I played along with it, but now I feel like he duped me. I was keen for a career in politics and he is a very high-profile MP and I was in awe of him.”