Rochdale MP asks: 'Is Labour candidate in the real world?'

Date published: 18 November 2009

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has hit back at Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, after he sent out a press release to the media accusing Mr Rowen of having a photograph airbrushed.

Mr Rowen said: “On the day of the State Opening of Parliament, with Labour setting out its final programme before the General Election, all my Labour opponent can talk about is a photograph of me. Is he honestly living in the real world? With record unemployment, the deepest world recession since the 1930's and a deepening crisis in Afghanistan, I am amazed that the most important issue the Labour Candidate can raise is a photo of me.

“I am a Northern lad and what you see is what you get.

"The Labour candidate’s priorities are clearly not on what he can offer for Rochdale but on silly, petty politics.

"Since moving to Rochdale to become the Labour parliamentary candidate he has overseen the worst set of local election results for Labour in a generation, seen longstanding members walk out under a cloud of controversy and even an ex mayor and current councillor quit the party. He has nothing to offer our area and is showing himself to be increasingly irrelevant.”