The Labour Party has chosen late Friday evening to announce news of a shadow cabinet reshuffle which includes a promotion for Clive Lewis, recently cleared of a claim of sexual assault.
The Norwich South MP resigned over the party’s Brexit stance in February of last year but is to be made a shadow Treasury minister.
Lewis came under investigation by the Labour Party in November after an official complaint accused him of groping a woman at the party’s annual conference last month.
The allegation was made by a party member who said she was meeting the front-bencher for the first time when they hugged and gave her “bum a big squeeze”.
The MP told the BBC at the time: “I know how I roll. I don’t squeeze women’s buttocks. They are lying or they are wrong.”
He was later cleared by the party.
Also on the list is Paula Sherriff who was PPS to Jon Trickett until January 2016 when she resigned.
Brandon Lewis MP, Chairman of the Conservative Party said: ’This reshuffle shows yet again that Labour will not just fail to confront abusive behaviour, but they will reward it.
“Clive Lewis and Laura Pidcock represent a nasty, regressive brand of politics which could not be further from Jeremy Corbyn’s laughable claims to represent a ‘kinder, gentler’ politics.
“It’s time for Labour MPs to speak up and condemn these appointments to ensure that all parties are united in working to stamp out abusive behaviour in public life.”
The full list of appointments is:
- Shadow Minister for Pensions - Jack Dromey MP
- Shadow Minister for Labour - Laura Pidcock MP
- Shadow Minister for Planning - Roberta Blackman-Woods MP
- Shadow Minister for Social Care and Mental Health - Paula Sherriff MP
- Shadow Minister for Buses - Matt Rodda MP
- Shadow Minister for the Treasury - Clive Lewis MP
- Shadow Minister for the Treasury - Lyn Brown MP
- Shadow Minister for Fire - Karen Lee MP
- Shadow Minister for International Trade - Judith Cummins MP
- Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office - Chris Matheson MP
- Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office - Laura Smith MP
- Shadow Minister for International Development - Dan Carden MP
- Shadow Minister for International Development - Preet Gill MP
Speaking of the new appointments, Jeremy Corbyn said: “I am pleased to make these appointments to strengthen Labour’s frontbench team, which is now a Government in waiting.
“I look forward to working with them in their new roles holding the Government to account, developing policy to transform our country and, with their Shadow Secretary of States, preparing to form a Government that will deliver for the many not the few.”