Jeremy Corbyn today defended his decision to promote an MP to the shadow cabinet after they had been accused of sexual harassment.
Kelvin Hopkins was briefly made shadow culture secretary last summer while the Labour leader was fighting off a mass walkout by his MPs.
Mr Corbyn today admitted he had been aware of the allegations against Mr Hopkins but said the case had been closed after a reprimand was given.
The allegations – that Mr Hopkins ‘rubbed his crotch’ on activist Ava Etemadzadeh and that he sent suggestive texts – resurfaced this week amid a sexism storm sweeping Westminster.
As the claims were looked at a second time, Mr Corbyn suspended Mr Hopkins from the Labour Party and launched a full investigation.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today in Blackpool) has defended his decision to promote an MP to the shadow cabinet after they had been accused of sexual harassment
Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins (pictured left) has been suspended from the party over allegations of harassment. Ava Etemadzadeh, 27 (pictured right) has said she initially complained to the whips’ office about Mr Hopkins around three years ago
Mr Hopkins, 76, has been MP for Luton North since 1997 and served as Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow culture secretary last summer.
Speaking at a regional conference in Blackpool today, Mr Corbyn insisted his decisions had be right on both occasions.
He said: ‘I was aware he was reprimanded and I was also made aware that was the end of the matter.’
‘He had been reprimanded, the case had been closed, I thought it was reasonable to appoint him for a very short time to the shadow cabinet.’
Asked why the case had been re-opened, Mr Corbyn said: ‘It has been reopened, obviously there will now be an investigation on this, that is on-going.
‘I made a decision to put him into the shadow cabinet for a short time. I thought that was the right thing to do.
‘Now the case has been reopened, it will be looked at again. He has been suspended from party membership which is a decision I took immediately when I heard the later revelations.’
Monica Lennon today revealed she was sexually assaulted by a senior male colleague at a party (file image)
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry (pictured today on Sky News) has called for a ‘step change’ in the treatment of women following the wave of sleaze allegations sweeping Parliament
Asked if his decision was wrong in hindsight, Mr Corbyn said he ‘could not comment on hindsight’.
He added: ‘He made a good contribution while he was there.’
Mr Hopkins strongly denies the allegations levelled against him.
In other developments inside Labour today, a Labour MSP has revealed she was sexually assaulted by a senior male colleague at a party.
As a sexual harassment scandal engulfs politics, Monica Lennon said she was groped at a social event four years ago in front of a room full of people.
Ms Lennon, 36, is the most senior UK politician to claim she has been a victim of a sexual assault since the scandal began to emerge in the last fortnight.
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has called for a ‘step change’ in the treatment of women following the wave of sleaze allegations sweeping Parliament.
Today’s revelations come after Labour MP John Mann warned up to 12 MPs could be forced to resign and trigger by-elections.