Simon Danczuk blames first wife for ‘poisoning’ relationship with his children and said he misinterpreted expenses rules
Suspended Labour MP still has not paid back £11k in dodgy expenses
A DISGRACED MP has tried to wriggle out of taking responsibility for his expenses scandal and blames his first wife for ‘poisoning’ his relationship with his children.
Simon Danczuk still has not paid back more than £11,000 in accommodation expenses he claimed for two children who did not ‘routinely’ live with him in London, despite being ordered to pay it back a month ago.
After the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority told him he would have to pay it back he said he would do it at the earliest opportunity.
But this morning on the Victoria Derbyshire Show he simply said: “It was an honest mistake, that’s the reality of it.
“I should have checked the rules and regulations. I relied on a member of the team to tell me what the rules were and I should have read them myself.
“I take full responsibility for it and I will pay it back.
“I will pay it back imminently.”
The 49-year-old had claimed money for his two oldest children to stay at his flat in London for a period of three years, when, at no point did either of the children regularly stay there.
He said: “I thought that the rule is that if they are dependent on you then you can claim.
“When I made the claim they did visit to stay with me [in Rochdale] on a regular basis.
“The relationship with my first two children was healthy and when I made the claim I anticipated they would stay with me in London.”
He said at any point they could start staying with him and that IPSA has accepted the rules need changing.
Danczuk has not spoken to his two older children about the expenses scandal and he blames this on his first wife.
He said: “It’s my first wife that’s affected my relationship with my two older children and that’s something I really regret.
“I don’t have a positive relationship with my two older children and I put that very much down to their mother.
“There are many fathers, and mothers for that matter, where there’s a breakup and one poisons the children against the other.
“That’s what has happened here and it’s really sad situation and that’s where we are in life.”
Danczuk was suspended by Labour and has been under investigation by the party after it emerged he sexted Sophena Houlihan, when she was 17, including asking if she wanted him to 'spank her'.
Labour is set to publish its findings and decide whether he is allowed back into the party later this week.
Police are also looking into an alleged historic rape, dating back to 2006. Danczuk has been quizzed about the claim and dismissed it as 'lies'.
His first wife Sonia Rossington initially said she was shocked by the texts but in January it emerged she may have worked as an escort who took part in paid orgies.
A year after divorcing the politician she was advertised as Stephanie36HH, the size of her breasts, on a sex website.