Simon Danczuk provokes storm of criticism for wrongly accusing Jeremy Corbyn of trying to 'support terrorism'

Photo: Journeaux

Simon Danczuk

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk has created a storm of protest after being quoted in an article in The Sun which wrongly accuses Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of funding an IRA bomber's flight in 1987.

The Sun's article says Mr Corbyn handed over £45 to Irishman Sean O’Regan, who they allege had approached him inside Parliament to claim he was part of an IRA active service unit.

http://www.sunnation.co.uk/jeremy-corbyn-tried-to-fund-ira-bombers-flight/

The allegation was first published in The Times back in 1987 but was quickly followed by The Times publishing an apology as the story wasn't true.

Mr Danczuk is quoted in The Sun's rehash of the erroneous Times story as saying of Mr Corbyn: “...most importantly, it shows that he tried to support terrorism.

“Jeremy needs to explain to the public why he was willing to give, what was then, a significant amount of money to someone he believed could kill British soldiers.”

Mr Danczuk tweeted a link to the article on The Sun Nation website this morning (Saturday 19 September) and despite an avalanche of tweets pointing out the story is not true, Mr Danczuk had failed to delete the tweet at the time of publication.

This Danczuk gaffe is the latest in a series of acts of disloyalty to the new Labour leader, and the Labour Party in general, that has left Labour party supporters wondering just what Mr Danczuk has to do before Labour charges him with bringing the party into disrepute.

Mr Danczuk complained back in 2009 that seven members of Rochdale Labour Party had undermined him in seeking an investigation into his conduct. Five of the seven were expelled from the party and two suspended. One of those suspended was the late Maureen Nicholl, 76 at the time and a party member for 60 years, with the only charge against the lifelong Labour stalwart being that in signing the letter asking for an investigation into Mr Danczuk she had undermined Mr Danczuk's election campaign.

Contrast with Mr Danczuk having persistently undermined Ed Miliband whilst he was leader and his trashing and undermining of Jeremy Corbyn during the Labour leadership contest and since Mr Corbyn's overwhelming victory and it is little wonder the question being asked even by Labour members is just why is Mr Danczuk being allowed to continually undermine the Labour Party without sanction.

A petition has been set up asking the Parliamentary Labour Party to withdraw the whip from Mr Danczuk and the Rochdale Constituency Labour Party to consider deselection.

https://www.change.org/p/the-labour-party-and-the-rochdale-constituency-offload-simon-danczuk-from-the-labour-party?recruiter=178516679&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive