Tory MP Neil Parish was suspended from his group in Parliament on Friday after he was accused of viewing pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons.
He says he “accidentally” opened a file. Neil Parish, a Conservative MP, was suspended from his group on Friday after he was accused of viewing pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons. Defending himself to Sky News, the MP said it was not intentional and would await the conclusions of the inquiry while continuing with his “duty”. He assured that he would not “remain” in his post if the investigation revealed that it was done voluntarily.
That inquiry was opened by Boris Johnson’s British Conservative Party on Wednesday. The MP in question had not been named at the time and Neil Parish made himself known to the Parliamentary Committee.
“A Charming Man”
“Now that it’s out it feels like a load has been lifted from me,” he told the Daily Telegraph. His wife of 40 years says Neil Parish is “a normal man, a charming man”. When asked by the Times, she added that the allegations against him were “stupid”.
“Nobody should look at pornography. He would never look at them with people around,” Sue Parish said, saying of the MPs who reported the incident that it was normal for them “to be so upset.”
Cancellation Demands
Since the MP’s name was announced, there have been several calls for his resignation. Labor MP Harriet Harman has urged Neil Parish to resign “immediately” if he is found guilty of the charges against him. Rachel Maclean, Under Secretary of State, also told Sky News that the Tory should be dismissed from the party if found guilty.
“It is unacceptable for anyone to do this in a workplace,” Boris Johnson said on Thursday.
Allegations of sexism and misogyny in the British Parliament
This episode takes place in the midst of a debate on sexism in Parliament. On Sunday, the Sunday Times announced that three opposition ministers and two opposition MPs are currently being charged with “misconduct of a sexual nature”, a term which can include sexual harassment, voyeurism or even sexual assault.
They are among 56 MPs who have been reported to an office responsible for registering these complaints, set up after the Metoo movement.
Another episode also sparked controversy. As the tabloid Mail on Sunday reports, unnamed Tory MPs have accused Angela Rayner of distracting the Prime Minister by crossing and uncrossing her legs in Parliament, in what Boris Johnson on Monday called “sexist and misogynistic bullshit”.