Jess Phillips criticises Kelvin Hopkins promotion to Labour shadow cabinet despite sexual harassment claims

A prominent Labour backbencher has said it was wrong that Kelvin Hopkins was promoted to the shadow cabinet despite allegations raised about his behaviour by a young activist.

Labour MP Jess Phillips said Mr Hopkins, who has been suspended pending an investigation into claims he sent suggestive texts and acted inappropriately, should not have promoted after allegations against him had been made.

She said she suspected the decision was “more cock-up than conspiracy”, but said giving him a job had been the “wrong” decision.

Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, initially complained to the whips' office following contact with Mr Hopkins around three years ago, according to The Telegraph.

Ms Philips told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “There does seem to be a problem with some of the issues over the timeline in this case, and I think that potentially Kelvin Hopkins should not have been promoted.”

The MP said she believes the case was handled “perfectly well” within the procedures at the time, and that she has spoken to Ms Etemadzadeh.

But she added: “I am a bit concerned about the fact that Kelvin was then promoted afterwards, that does seem wrong to me.

“I think actually it's probably more cock-up than conspiracy if I'm allowed to say cock-up on the radio.

“I don't think that it was sort of political expediency; I think that people just didn't take it as seriously as it needed to be taken.”

It is understood that after Ms Etemadzadeh’s initial complaint following dealings with Mr Hopkins in 2014 and 2015, the MP was spoken to about why his behaviour was inappropriate and reprimanded by then chief whip Dame Rosie Winterton.

But he was promoted to the shadow cabinet, where he served as culture spokesman between June and October 2016 following mass resignations which were part of a botched coup attempt against Mr Corbyn.

A complaint made to the leader's office last year was based on the same information in the initial complaint so no further action was taken.

Ms Etemadzadeh is understood to have given fresh information when she contacted the party about the allegations on Thursday.

Mr Hopkins is the latest MP to become caught up in a wave of allegations over sleaze in Westminster.

The 76 year old has been an MP for 20 years and remained on the backbenches except for his short stint as shadow culture secretary.

On the left of the party, he has a long history of involvement in the trade union movement and was one of the 36 MPs to nominate Mr Corbyn when he stood for the Labour leadership in 2015.

Labour said it takes complaints "extremely seriously" and has "robust" systems in place to deal with them.

A spokesman said on Thursday: "On the basis of allegations received by the Labour Party today, Kelvin Hopkins has been suspended from party membership, and therefore the Labour whip, while an investigation takes place.

"The Labour Party takes all such complaints extremely seriously and has robust procedures in place to deal with them."

The party has also withdrawn the whip from MP Jared O'Mara, who was subject to a series of alegations relating to sexually inappropriate language in articles he wrote.