What does Joe Public think about the MPs?

YESTERDAY, at a bus stop up Castleton I bumped into a retired painter that I use to work with at Holcroft Castings & Forgings in Rochdale, and he began moaning about the Rochdale MP, Simon Danczuk, he said:  'I thought he was alright and was willing to speak up, but now I've no faith in him at all!'  The day before another passenger had asked if I'd read about the local MP and said that 'there may be one or two down there who are OK, but most of them (the MPs) are bigger robbers that we are!'


Meanwhile, it seems that local people are sending letters the Ipsa (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) about the lavish way Mr. Danczuk has been claiming his expenses over the years.  Making him one of the most expensive MPs in the country.


Last October, the website Rochdaleonline reported that: 
'Councillors were said to be "queuing up" to criticise Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk for using the Tory press to "undermine" the national Labour leadership at the latest Labour Group meeting on Monday night.'


Richard Farnell, the leader of the Rochdale Labour Borough Council, at the time it was claimed had 'warned Labour councillors not to criticise Mr Danczuk on social media.' 


Later, in an update, it was said:
'Councillor Farnell has denied he was attempting to stifle criticism of Mr Danczuk, he said he never mentioned Mr Danczuk by name and wasn't referring to any individual when "asking" councillors not to criticise "party colleagues" on social media.'


More recently at the last Rochdale Council meeting Richard Farnell appeared to give his support to Simon Danczuk in response to a question from the Liberal Democrat councillor, Andy Kelly.