Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has branded Hezbollah an "antisemitic terrorist organisation'" as he backed the recent, much-delayed move to ban the group in full as a proscribed terror group.

The Welsh MP - whom Sir Keir Starmer promoted in his new shadow cabinet, returning Diane Abbott to the backbenches - also said the party should have adopted the full IHRA definition of antisemitism "in full far sooner".

But his words contrast with Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, when the party did not initially endorse the bid to proscribe the political wing of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terror group.

Last year, when the House of Commons voted on the matter, Labour issued a statement that said then Home Secretary Sajid Javid had not provided ''sufficient evidence'' for the ban.

Mr Thomas-Symonds, then a junior shadow Home Office minister, failed to respond to Mr Javid's question in the Commons in February 2019 on whether he supported the ban himself.

In the debate, Mr Thomas-Symonds - who was criticised for his weak stance on the issue but some of his own MPs - said it was his job to "provide scrutiny" of the home secretary.

At the time, Mr Corbyn's party even suggested Mr Javid was in favour of proscribing Hezbollah as part of his ''leadership ambitions".

Mr Thomas-Symonds' latest message was in response on Twitter from Labour Against Antisemitism's Euan Phillips.

He wrote: ''It is right that the antisemitic terrorist organisation Hizbollah is fully proscribed.

''Agree Labour should have adopted IHRA in full far sooner.''

Mr Thomas-Symonds also said he wanted to "echo Keir's apology to the Jewish Community on behalf of Labour".

He added: "He is leading the way and I will play my part in building bridges with the Jewish community."

On Tuesday, Mr Thomas-Symonds and Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy were due to hold a meeting via video link with the Board of Deputies.