Media organisations paid Simon Danczuk over £47,000 in 2015

Photo: Journeaux

Simon Danczuk

The latest update to parliament’s register of interests shows new payments made to Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk from media organisations that take his total payments from broadcasters, agencies and newspapers during 2015 to £47,306.

Mr Danczuk declared payments of just under £5,000 in December for 11 hours work, however, he was also reported by The Guardian to have been paid £5,000 by The Sun for an article in late December, which The Guardian said left him "open to further charges that he has been seeking to profit from his growing notoriety", which has not yet been declared.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/09/simon-danczuk-5000-sun-on-sunday-interview

Payments entered in the register in December:

• Received from DMGT PLC: 16 December 2015, received £2,000 for articles I contributed to. Hours: approx. 5 hrs. (Registered 18 December 2015)
• From News Group Newspapers Ltd: 16 December 2015, received £625 for articles I contributed to. Hours: 2 hrs. (Registered 18 December 2015)
• Received from Fameflynet Ltd: 17 December 2015, received £2,300 for media advice. Hours: approx. 4 hrs. (Registered 18 December 2015)

The payment from Fameflynet follows a similar payment of £1,115 from the photo agency in November. Newsnight interviewer Nick Hopkins challenged Simon Danczuk over that payment, which he received 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 him a cut.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/100222/newsnight-call-simon-danczuk-out-on-photo-moneymaking-scheme

The payments declared in the register plus the £5,000 from The Sun takes his total payments from broadcasters, agencies and newspapers during 2015 to £47,306.

Mr Danczuk also received £2,525 in hospitality in October in the form of Rugby World Cup tickets and hospitality from ITV and tobacco company JTI UK.

The payments and hospitality are on top of Mr Danczuk's £74,000 MP's salary.

Mr Danczuk also claimed over £175,000 in expenses in the last financial year.