The allegations of sexual misconduct were put forward by 27-year-old activist Ava Etemadzadeh, who told the Daily Telegraph that during her encounter with Kelvin Hopkins at a Labor event at the University of Essex in 2014, he "hugged her very tightly and rubbed himself against her."
One year later, in February 2015, the MP invited her to parliament and she visited him. Hopkins, she said, asked her a number of personal questions, including whether she had a boyfriend. He then commented that he would have taken her to his office, had it been empty. His comment made her "feel uncomfortable," Etemadzadeh said.
The 76-year-old MP has not commented on the issue.
His party however issued a statement saying that it "takes such complaints extremely seriously" and that it has suspended Hopkins from party membership while "an investigation takes place."
It was noted that the claims had already been brought to the attention of Labor’s then-chief whip Rosie Winterton two years ago. Ms Etemadzadeh told the newspaper that "she was angry that nothing appeared to have been done when she first came forward with the complaint."
The party is already investigating one of its senior members following allegations of sexual abuse.
The most recent development is the resignation of the country's defense secretary Michael Fallon over his inappropriate behavior with journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer in 2002.
Earlier this week, a trove of leaked materials put together by Conservative party aides suggested that at least 36 senior Tories have been accused of sexual misconduct.
