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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.

Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, claims Kelvin Hopkins hugged her tightly rubbing his crotch on her and texted her: "A nice young man would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend and lover…Were I to be young.”

Mr Corbyn said he believed the "case was closed" when he elevated Mr Hopkins to his top team.

(Image: PA)

The Labour leader 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."

Asked why the case was reopened, Mr Corbyn said: "Well, 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 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 frontbench 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.

Mr Corbyn said: “He had been reprimanded, the case had been closed. I thought it was reasonable to appoint him.”