Corbyn defends post for Hopkins
JEREMY Corbyn has defended giving Kelvin Hopkins a Shadow Cabinet post knowing the MP had been reprimanded over claims of inappropriate behaviour.
The Labour leader thought the case was closed so promoting the 76-year-old had been “reasonable”.
Labour suspended Luton North MP Mr Hopkins last week. He has denied sexually harassing party activist Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, by hugging her and rubbing his crotch against her. Mr Corbyn said: “He had been reprimanded, the case had been closed. I thought it was reasonable to appoint him.” THERESA May’s deputy Damian Green was battling to keep his job last night following allegations that “extreme porn” was found on his computer.
The sex scandal lapped the doors of Downing Street yesterday as the Prime Minister came under intense pressure to set up a completely independent body to examine sexual harassment claims at Westminster.
Green, who is already under investigation by the Cabinet Office for inappropriate behaviour, issued a strong denial.
The First Secretary said he was subject to a political smear and said it was completely untrue that pornographic material was discovered in his Westminster office during a police raid nine years ago.
Green said the claims by former Metropolitan police assistant commissioner Bob Quick came from “a tainted and untrustworthy source”.
Quick, who resigned over a blundered leak of a terror raid in 2009, was in charge of an investigation when Green was an opposition MP.
Green said police had never told him that any improper material had been found on his parliamentary computer when material was seized from his office.
Quick said he “stood” by the claim and would take part in an inquiry.
Green was already being investigated over claims made last week that he acted inappropriately with a Tory activist.
Kate Maltby, a writer and academic 30 years his junior, alleged he “fleetingly” touched her knee in a pub in 2015. Green, 61, dismissed the allegation as “untrue” and “deeply hurtful”. Fellow Tory MPs Anna Soubry and Heidi Allen said Green, effectively the deputy Prime Minister, should step aside during the probe. Allen claimed in any businesses outside of Westminster it would be “completely normal” for a boss to take a leave of absence during an investigation. Asked if she thought Green should stand down, she replied: “Yes. I would.” Soubry said Green should have been “suspended so we could have a proper inquiry.”
The twist came as Home Secretary Amber Rudd said MPs found guilty of sexual harassment should be kicked out of the Commons under a tough new crackdown.
Rudd predicted that the wave of sleaze allegations sweeping Westminster would lead to a positive “clear-out” which would leave Parliament and the Government in better shape.
She said she wanted the sanction of sacking MPs to be considered as part of a major overhaul of anti-harassment procedures.
Rudd said: “I think that is one of the things I would encourage the review to look at. It may be the case, it may not. It is wrong for us to have a knee-jerk reaction based on the past week.
“What we need to do is look at the whole issue. There needs to be a procedure put in place as soon as possible.”
The Home Secretary said