"Inconceivable that Danczuk could rejoin Labour ... yet" say local Lib Dems

Rochdale Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Andy Kelly has spoken of his surprise after the controversial MP Simon Danczuk claimed that Labour has "no choice" but to take him back. Mr Danczuk has now been suspended from the Labour Party for a year. He was suspended in December last year for sending a series of explicit, lurid text messages to a 17 constituent who applied for a role in his office.

Councillor Andy Kelly, also the local Lib Dem leader, claims that the ongoing investigation from the Met Police into Danczuk's expenses make being welcomed into the Labour Party "inconceivable". Danczuk had to pay back £11,583 in expenses for "knowingly claiming expenses he wasn't entitled to", according to Independent Parliamentary Standard's Authority (Ipsa). A local Lib Dem and another member of the public had already asked the police to investigate.

Andy said: "This is yet another example of the cavalier attitude of our Town's MP. We could have the bizarre situation where he is welcomed back into the Labour Party on the Monday, charged with misuse of public funds on the Tuesday and kicked out again on the Wednesday. Danczuk claims that he is being victimised because he is a critic of Jeremy Corbyn. Nothing to do with his narcissistic behaviour on so many counts. It gives me no pleasure to say Danczuk has no-one else to blame for his current predicament."

Andy says that although the Met Investigation has been frustratingly slow, he believes they are doing a thorough job and expects a decision soon. He said: "My office first asked the police and Ipsa to investigate Simon Danczuk on 25th January last year. Greater Manchester Police passed the letter onto The Met. I would like to thank the Serious Crime and Homicide team for carrying out such a thorough investigation. They have been regularly updating my office and have travelled the country speaking to witnesses. We fully expect Simon Danczuk to be charged. If the Labour Party think it is appropriate to readmit Mr Danczuk with all this hanging over him, that's their call - something they will, to my mind, later regret."

Ipsa's compliance officer, Peter Davis, said in his report into the complaint: "The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the MP obtained an increase to his accommodation expenditure budget by claiming dependant uplifts for his two oldest children for a period of over three years, when, at no point were either of the children routinely resident. The compliance officer must also conclude that this was done knowing that there was no reasonable prospect of the children staying at the accommodation."