Promoting Hopkins was the right thing to do, insists Corbyn
JEREMY CORBYN has said he believed it was “reasonable” of him to promote an MP he knew had been reprimanded after claims of inappropriate behaviour.
The Labour leader made Kelvin Hopkins shadow culture secretary in July 2016, after complaints about the Luton North MP had been made by Ava Etemadzadeh, an activist, in Dec 2015.
It is understood that Mr Hopkins was spoken to about why his behaviour was inappropriate and reprimanded by Dame Rosie Winterton, then opposition chief whip, when Ms Etemadzadeh made her initial complaint after dealings with the MP in 2014 and 2015.
The Daily Telegraph revealed last week that Mr Hopkins had the Labour whip withdrawn after an investigation unearthed allegations that he sent “inappropriate” text messages and rubbed himself against a young woman after a political event.
Ms Etemadzadeh, who is now 27, said that she informed the whips office of the incident at the time and that a regional branch member had contacted the leader’s office about the allegations.
She told The Telegraph last week: “I know the leader’s office was informed and they didn’t act on it, which is absolutely disgraceful. He was then promoted to the shadow cabinet.”
Mr Corbyn said he believed the “case was closed” when he elevated Mr Hopkins to his top team. He said: “Yes, I was aware that he had been reprimanded and I was also made aware that that was the end of the matter.
“He had been reprimanded, the case had been closed. I thought it was reasonable to appoint him, albeit for a very short time, to shadow cabinet.”
It is understood Dame Rosie queried the appointment with the Labour leader’s office after it was made official. The MP “categorically denies” any inappropriate conduct in relation to the activist.
Asked why the case was reopened, Mr Corbyn said: “It has been reopened and, obviously, there will now be an investigation taking place on this and that’s ongoing. I made a decision to put him into the shadow cabinet for a short time and I thought that was the right Jeremy Corbyn at Labour’s North West Regional Conference at the weekend thing to do. And now the case has been reopened and it will be looked at again.
“He has been suspended from party membership, which is a decision I took immediately I heard about the later revelations.”
Pressed on whether he would make the same decision to appoint Mr Hopkins to the front bench with hindsight, Mr Corbyn said: “I can’t discuss hindsight, all I can say is that I took a decision based on what I knew at the time and he made a good contribution to the shadow cabinet during the short time he was there. But it is now a matter to be investigated and be resolved.”
Labour has also launched a formal investigation into Clive Lewis after a woman accused the Labour MP of groping her at the party’s annual conference in Brighton. The 39-year-old woman has alleged that Mr Lewis, a former frontbencher and ally of Mr Corbyn, had given her backside a “big squeeze” when he had hugged her in a packed room. The woman has now made an official complaint and the party has confirmed that it is investigating. Mr Lewis has vehemently denied the allegation.
The woman claimed the incident took place at the same event at which Mr Lewis was recorded saying “get on your knees, b----”, a remark for which he has apologised.
Mr Lewis told The Independent website that he denied the allegation. He said: “I wouldn’t do that to someone. It’s not what I do, it’s not my style, it’s not how I roll. I do not do that. They have made the allegation and I totally refute it. If someone hugs me, I hug them back. I would completely deny it.”
A party spokesman said: “The Labour Party is investigating a formal complaint made against Clive Lewis.”