Labour MP Danczuk investigated over rape allegation

Last May, I met the Labour MP Simon Danczuk at home with his wife Karen, parliament’s “Queen of Selfies”, for what would turn out to be their last interview together.

A spokesman said: “We are in the very early stages of an investigation and inquiries are ongoing”.

Speaking at the protest, organiser Liz Thirsk said: “This has been organised simply because of the news that Simon was sending sex messages to a 17-year-old girl”.

Mr Danczuk said: “I don’t believe for one second the people of Rochdale have any intention of listening to such a rag tag bunch of political opponents”, the MP said.

He told the broadcaster that police had not been in touch with him but he would “co-operate fully with any inquiries and am confident my name will be promptly cleared”.

The 49-year-old Rochdale MP has blamed a “drink problem” for the sexually-explicit messages he sent to Sophena Houlihan when she was 17.

“I always ask myself one question about his Child Sexual Exploitation investigations, whether he did it for himself or for the good of the town and I think now the answer is that he did it for himself”.

“So to all of the sudden find myself in a state of affairs where I am reading about my personal life ’cause of different ex-girlfriends & wives selling their tales, it’s kind of upsetting. Why should that happen to me just because I am working class?” I’m so embarrassed that I’ve been such an idiot. I’m sorry for letting my family down, and I’m already dreading my young sons finding out about this when they are older’.

“Younger women are my Achilles heel”, he said.

Mr Danczuk, 49, told how he has since sought psychiatric help for his alcoholism and has been told to stop drinking for six months.

Former councillor Farooq Ahmed said in reference to the text messages, he said: “This is something we’re not surprised about – we’re aware of his behaviour, his personal life was out there”.

Mr Danczuk said he was planning to carry out visits in his constituency and “have a chat about it”.

Mr Danczuk’s comments came after his former partner, Claire Hamilton, said his admission of sending texts to Miss Houlihan led her to end their relationship shortly after Christmas.

He said: ” These untrue allegations are of a criminal nature and she has chosen not to take them to police but to sell them to a national newspaper.