Newsnight call Simon Danczuk out on photo money-making scheme

Simon Danczuk rattled on BBC Newsnight

Newsnight interviewer Nick Hopkins challenged Simon Danczuk over payments he has been receiving from a photographic agency for tipping them off about his movements so they could arrange photographers to be present, then sell the photos on to tabloid newspapers and give Mr Danczuk a cut.

On the programme, which aired on Monday 4 January, Mr Hopkins questioning clearly rattled Mr Danczuk, who struggled to justify why an MP should receive £1,100 from a photo agency for 'tip offs'. As Mr Danczuk sought to defend himself, Mr Hopkins asked him to name any other MP with a similar arrangement, Mr Danczuk couldn't.

Mr Hopkins told the MP for Rochdale that it is "wrong".

The programme is available on BBC iPlayer until early February: 

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06vhp0v/newsnight-04012016

Reaction to Mr Danczuk's money-making scheme off the back of his status as an MP has been scathing.

Mr Danczuk insists he sees nothing wrong in what he is doing.

Rochdale Online has previously revealed that on top of his £74,000 salary as an MP, Mr Danczuk: 

• Cost the taxpayer over £1.2million in salary and expenses between 2010 and 2015, including a fondness for first class travel:
  
  http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/99331/first-class-travel-on-the-danczuk-gravy-train
  
  
• Been paid £2,000 an hour by the Tory press for articles criticising his party leader:
  
  http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/97606/labour-mp-simon-danczuk-paid-%C2%A32000-an-hour-by-tory-press
  
  
• Employed his (now former) wife, Karen, as a caseworker on up to £30,000 a year of taxpayer's money and in addition paid her 621 hours overtime:
  
  http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/99129/the-danczuks-go-bananas-with-overtime-payments