Simon Danzcuk's Lesson: Making Politics Pay!

BELOW the headline “'Emotional' MP rants at 'Toff' Miliband and party 'elite'”, was the
caption alongside a picture of Simon Danczuk on the front page of the Rochdale Observer today.

Now as anyone who knows anything about Mr Danzcuk's less than illustrious career before he became an MP will tell you, he's not exactly a 'horny handed son of toil' in the Ernie Bevin mould. But on this at least he is right, though for all the wrong reasons.

Britain's fundamental problem is that it is on the way to becoming a low income economy for all except a favoured few.  And surprise, surprise, our MPs are amongst those favoured few.

To take one extreme example, after losing the Labour leadership to his younger brother Ed, David Miliband went on to make £985,315 from the public speaking circuit and his work as an adviser in less than three years.  This was in addition to his salary as an MP.

Now Mr Danzcuk isn't in this kind of earnings bracket, yet.  But a quick totting up of his extra parliamentary income last year comes to almost £23,000 plus £2,200 in hospitality for two people. This is in addition to his £66,396 salary as an MP.  And let's not forget the £25,000 or so paid to wife Karen as a 'caseworker'.

Is it any wonder that voters think that MPs of all parties are out of touch with the daily realities of the insecurities which dog the lives of many people?

Les May