Monday 18 January 2016

Danczuk's Defence & the John Prescott case


by Les May
I'VE never thought there was much mileage in the argument that Simon Danczuk abused his position as a potential employer when he exchanged messages loaded with sexual innuendo with a 17-year-old who turned to be a small business woman with a nice line in toe nail clippings, used undergarments and on-line humiliation.  But given the way this particular story burst upon the scene it is difficult to see what else Labour could do but to suspend him.
According to one of his 'friends', he is going to use the 'John Prescott defence', in that because the Labour party did not expel John Prescott for having a two year affair with his diary secretary between 2002 and 2004, it ought not now to exclude Simon Danczuk for exchanging suggestive e-mails with a 17-year-old girl.  
One spin off from this story is that evidence has emerged that at least some members of the world's second oldest profession have a sense of humour.  Or is it that they are suffering from an irony deficiency?
It appears that Mr Danczuk's lawyers Bindmans, have branded the his suspension as: 'detrimental to his career and reputation'. 
Well it may turn out to be decidedly detrimental to his career, but detrimental to his REPUTATION?
Simon's seemingly belligerent attitude in this may not be cleverest approach to take.  As the story unfolded his first wife, now Mrs Rossington, and his recent girlfriend, Claire Hamilton both had some not very nice things to say about him.  Instead of quietly 'taking it on the chin', he decided to argue back.  As a result his first wife took her complaints to the Police, and Claire Hamilton had quite a bit more to say and is now offering to give evidence if asked to do so.
Pursuing a course which seems designed to inflict maximum damage on the Labour party in an effort to have the suspension lifted so that he can be readmitted is unlikely to win him many friends.  Claims by his lawyers that his treatment so far by the party is, 'an affront to the rules of natural justice', are only likely to open some very old wounds.
In 2009, five members of the Rochdale Labour party were expelled after a complaint by Mr Danczuk, when they called for an investigation into what had happened in Spain during an apparent disagreement between Mr Danczuk, and the then Karen Burke.  One of their claims was that between the time the complaint was made and the time of the hearing, other more serious charges had been added.  Simon is not on record as claiming this was 'an affront to natural justice'.
You can read more about the incident in Spain at the links below ; 
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Posted by bammy at 11:40
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