Jeremy Corbyn didn't seem that pleased today with the revelation
he'd appointed a close ally to his Commons front bench team last year,
despite his Chief Whip warning the Labour leader she'd reprimanded the
MP for alleged sexual misconduct.
Last night, Labour suspended Kelvin Hopkins after complaints from this
student, Ava Etemadzadeh, who invited Hopkins to speak at Essex
University three years ago.
He sexually harassed me by rubbing his
crotch on me.
Secondly he invited me to Parliament and had lunch with him
and obviously I was expecting to have a political conversation, but
he started asking personal questions about whether I had a boyfriend and
he told me he would have taken me in his office if nobody was there.
I was absolutely shocked.
She complained to Rosie Winterton,
Labour's then Chief Whip in the Commons, who reprimanded Hopkins.
But Ava Etemadzadeh was then astonished when Corbyn gave him a
big job on Labour's front bench.
Not only
not only Jeremy Corbyn's office ignored it but a few months later
Jeremy Hopkins -- Kelvin Hopkins was promoted to the which absolutely
shocked me.
It made me feel very disillusioned, you know, about
politicians.
I was very upset about it.
Did Mr Corbyn perhaps turn a blind eye because Hopkins is a
personal ally?
Did you know about Mr Hopkins' behaviour before you
promoted him, sir?
Are you aware of the allegations against him before
you promoted him to the Shadow Cabinet?
Presumably he is awaiting the outcome of Labour's enquiry and
the night Mr Hopkins denied the allegations.
What would you like to happen to Mr Hopkins now?
Well, I don't think he's suited to carry on
as a member of Parliament and I believe he should resign.
Worse for Labour today, Carl Sargeant,
communities and children minister in the Labour government in Wales, has
been sacked after allegations about his personal conduct.
On the Tory side, Downing Street let it be known
today, the leader of the house Andrea Leadsom hadn't called for the
sacking of Sir Michael Fallon, who quit this week as Defence Secretary
over his conduct.
Though it's been reported his departure came after
Miss Leadsom gave Number Ten a list of allegations about Fallon.
Let's go to Michael lives in Westminster, there are new
allegations about a Labour MP tonight?
Yes, 39-year-old woman, according to the Independent has
accused Clive Lewis, the Labour MP for Norwich, who used to be in the
Shadow Cabinet, not any longer, she said that at the Labour conference
in Brighton five weeks ago, at a meeting, while we were having a hope
he gave my bum a big squeeze.
-- while we were having a hug.
Clive Lewis has vehemently denied it, it's
not my style, it's not how I roll, he said.
He also said, I don't squeeze women's buttocks.
The Labour Party have announced they are
investigating this complaint.
It doesn't appear that Mr Lewis has
been suspended.
Thanks, Michael.