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Simon Danczuk's ex 'will contact police' after claims of drink-fuelled bullying Simon Danczuk suggests 'Corbynites' among protesters trying to oust him
(about 2 hours later)
The ex-wife of Simon Danczuk has said she will speak to the police after claiming he drove her to therapy with what she has alleged was drug- and alcohol-fuelled bullying. Simon Danczuk has accused “Corbynites” and other political opponents of fuelling a protest outside his constituency office in Rochdale in an attempt to gain political capital.
The Labour MP’s first wife, Sonia Rossington, 39, said she would give evidence to a Labour party inquiry into his behaviour. Speaking after his first wife Sonia Rossington told the Guardian on Monday that she would contact police over allegations of drug- and drink-fuelled bullying, the Labour MP insisted the demonstration was driven by political “extremists” on the far left and did not represent the view of his constituents.
Rossington accused Danczuk of being a sexual predator, in a Mail on Sunday interview at the weekend, alleging that he would have sex with her while she slept and bully her into silence. “In terms of the protest, the reality is that it’s a small group of opposition people who just want to cause trouble,” he told journalists outside his constituency office.
Speaking on the doorstep of her home in Darwen, Lancashire, on Monday morning, Rossington told the Guardian she would contact police about her allegations. Asked if she would speak to Labour’s disciplinary inquiry into Danczuk, she said: “I’ve not been invited to [but] yes, of course if I was invited to, but I’ve not been.” Danczuk was suspended from Labour on New Year’s Eve over allegations he sent sexually explicit text messages to a 17-year-old girl who had inquired about a job in his office. The MP, 49 – a prominent campaigner against child sexual abuse – apologised unreservedly and blamed a drink problem for the messages he sent to Sophena Houlihan.
As he left his office ahead of a planned protest at 11am, Danczuk said the demonstration was made up of his political enemies. “It’s made up of Lib Dems, ex-Lib Dem councillors, people from Rochdale Momentum, so they’re on the far left of the political spectrum. There’s some Greens involved in it,” he said.
“It’s political opponents that have come together to try and use my personal life to cause trouble and to try and gain political capital, which they’re welcome to do – that’s up to them. But the vast majority of Rochdale people will have no truck with extremists like that.” He added: “I think some Corbynites are causing some of the trouble.”
Liz Thirsk, a former Liberal Democrat member of Rochdale council, said earlier on Monday that protestors would demand an explanation for why Danczuk will not resign. His ex-partner, Claire Hamilton, has also claimed he is not fit to be an MP.
But Danczuk refused to cave in to the demands for his resignation, saying: “It’s not for ex-girlfriends or ex-wives to determine who the MP for Rochdale [is], it’s for the residents of Rochdale to determine who the MP for Rochdale is. I’ve been very clear about what issues I’ve addressed personally and I’ll continue to do that. What I’m going to do now is go round and meet some of the people of Rochdale and have a chat about it.”
As he left his constituency office, tailed by a small group of reporters and photographers, Danczuk tried to brush off suggestions that he was under huge political and personal pressure over the allegations, saying: “It’s been fine. I’ve been keeping in touch with lots of people, I’ve been in the constituency for most of the week, so I’ve been getting round and doing what MPs do, which is meeting constituents and learning about what the issues are.”
Earlier on Monday, Rossington told the Guardian she would go to the police after claiming he drove her to therapy with what she has alleged was drug- and alcohol-fuelled bullying. She also said she would give evidence to a Labour party inquiry into his behaviour.
Rossington accused Danczuk of being a sexual predator in a Mail on Sunday interview at the weekend, alleging that he would have sex with her while she slept and bully her into silence.
Speaking on the doorstep of her home in Darwen, Lancashire, Rossington told the Guardian she would contact police about her allegations. Asked if she would speak to Labour’s disciplinary inquiry into Danczuk, she said: “I’ve not been invited to [but] yes, of course if I was invited to, but I’ve not been.”
Then asked whether she would contact the police, Rossington said: “Yes. Yes.” Asked when, she added: “Like I said, I don’t want to speak to any more press at all.”Then asked whether she would contact the police, Rossington said: “Yes. Yes.” Asked when, she added: “Like I said, I don’t want to speak to any more press at all.”
Related: Simon Danczuk: I won't be dragged through a kangaroo courtRelated: Simon Danczuk: I won't be dragged through a kangaroo court
Danczuk responded to Rossington’s claims, telling the Mail on Sunday: “She is consumed by bitterness, is susceptible to drinking too much and is telling lies.” Danczuk earlier responded to Rossington’s claims, telling the Mail on Sunday: “She is consumed by bitterness, is susceptible to drinking too much and is telling lies.”
The MP declined to comment further on Sunday, but a friend of Danczuk’s said: “Some of the allegations [made by the MP’s ex-wife] are clearly criminal, but she’s never been to the police or anything like that.”The MP declined to comment further on Sunday, but a friend of Danczuk’s said: “Some of the allegations [made by the MP’s ex-wife] are clearly criminal, but she’s never been to the police or anything like that.”
Danczuk told the Guardian on Saturday that he had instructed solicitors to take legal action against Rossington. “Ever since I was elected an MP in 2010 she has been pestering journalists, trying to spread malicious falsehoods and defamatory allegations about me,” he claimed.Danczuk told the Guardian on Saturday that he had instructed solicitors to take legal action against Rossington. “Ever since I was elected an MP in 2010 she has been pestering journalists, trying to spread malicious falsehoods and defamatory allegations about me,” he claimed.
His friends say that Rossington has a history of giving stories to newspapers about her ex-husband. In 2014, she gave an interview to the Sun in which she said Danczuk had taken ecstasy and cannabis while a student – a claim he admitted.His friends say that Rossington has a history of giving stories to newspapers about her ex-husband. In 2014, she gave an interview to the Sun in which she said Danczuk had taken ecstasy and cannabis while a student – a claim he admitted.
A prominent campaigner against child sexual abuse in his Rochdale constituency, Danczuk was suspended from Labour on New Year’s Eve over allegations he sent sexually explicit text messages to a 17-year-old girl who had inquired about a job in his constituency office. Danczuk was suspended from Labour on New Year’s Eve over the allegations that he sent sexually explicit text messages to Houlihan.
The 49-year-old MP has apologised unreservedly and blamed a drink problem for the messages he sent to Sophena Houlihan.
Danczuk is expected to face a protest outside his office in Rochdale later on Monday. One of the protest’s organisers, former Liberal Democrat member of Rochdale council Liz Thirsk, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are going to go there to draw attention to the fact that this is where he is, and we are going to ask for him – if he’s there – to come out and tell us why he won’t resign.”
Responding to Danczuk’s explanation that he sent the texts when drunk, Thirsk asked: “If he was a schoolteacher would that be allowed, or if he was a social worker? Would the fact that I was drunk be an excuse? If you go up in court accused of a crime, would the fact that you were drunk excuse you? That can’t be acceptable.”
Meanwhile, the MP’s former partner Claire Hamilton said that his admission to having sent texts to Houlihan led her to end their relationship shortly after Christmas.
Hamilton told Today: “Simon hasn’t got a stop button when he starts to drink. He will just keep consuming. If it’s there, he’ll drink it. He can be a very charming, funny, lovely person, and then sometimes when he’s had a drink and he was stressed he would be very nasty and grumpy and someone you wouldn’t want to be around.
“It was getting harder and harder to be in the relationship, to the point that when he did confess to texting a teenage girl, it was definitely over. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back and I knew there was no going back to him.”
Houlihan, who is now 18, said Danczuk sent her numerous messages including one asking if she wanted a “spanking”, after she contacted him about a job.Houlihan, who is now 18, said Danczuk sent her numerous messages including one asking if she wanted a “spanking”, after she contacted him about a job.
The father-of-five’s personal life has repeatedly made headlines over the past year following the collapse of his marriage to wife Karen, who was dubbed the selfie queen after posting numerous photographs of herself in low-cut tops. The MP’s personal life has repeatedly made headlines over the past year following the collapse of his marriage to his wife Karen, who was dubbed the “selfie queen” after posting numerous photographs of herself in low-cut tops.
It is understood that Labour is considering dropping Ken Livingstone from any inquiry into Danczuk after the former mayor of London criticised the MP for Rochdale last week. Danczuk has claimed Livingstone has prejudged any inquiry. It is understood that Labour is considering dropping Ken Livingstone from any inquiry into Danczuk after the former mayor of London criticised the MP for Rochdale last week. Danczuk claimed Livingstone has prejudged any inquiry.