Dismissed Conservative MP Neil Parish is facing calls to resign after being identified as the person accused of watching pornography in the municipal hall.
This comes after politicians of all manners reacted indignantly to allegations made for the first time in private by two Tory MPs during a meeting with party officials on Tuesday night.
At the end of days of widespread speculation about the identity of the person allegedly watching porn, Mr Parish, a 2010 MP from Tiverton and Honiton, was stopped on Friday.
The 65-year-old man, who also chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, has now reported to Parliament’s Standards Commissioner.
Commissioner Catherine Stone may launch an investigation if she believes Mr Parish has caused “significant damage to the reputation and integrity” of the House of Commons.
A second investigation by the Independent Complaints and Complaints Scheme (ICGS) – set up after the Me Too scandal – was launched after the allegations surfaced.
But Labor MP Harriet Harman insisted Mr Parish should resign “immediately” if the allegations were true, saying the incident was a “new low level” for the House of Commons.
Ms Harman, the mother of the house – the longest-serving woman MP – told BBC Radio 4 in the afternoon: “If he has done so, he must resign from parliament immediately.
“It is not right for him to go through the investigation if he has done that. He is clearly not fit to be in parliament. He must accept this and not pull the process out. “
However, a statement on Mr Parish’s website made it clear that he would remain an MP and fulfill his “duties” to his constituents.
It read: “After allegations that an MP used his mobile phone in parliament, I turned to the parliamentary commissioner for standards in the House of Commons.
“I will co-operate fully in any investigation and, while it is ongoing, I will continue to serve as Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton. I will not comment further at this stage. “
The chief whip added: “Mr Parish has been removed from the Conservative Party pending the outcome of this investigation.”
After his removal, it also turned out that Mr. Parish had been asked about the allegation that an MP had watched porn in the Municipal Hall, telling GB News that he should be treated “seriously”.
In an interview, Mr Paris also denied that there was a cultural problem with misogyny in parliament, but said some lawmakers could “cross the border”.
“I think the whip service will do a thorough investigation and we will wait and see this result, and I think it will have to decide what action to take,” he said.
Asked if there is a culture of misogyny in parliament, Mr Parish said: “When you have 650 members of parliament in a very intensive area, you will make people cross the border.
“I don’t think there is necessarily a huge culture here, but I think it needs to be treated and worked on seriously, and I think the whips will do that.
The main whip on Friday followed allegations that conservatives had not acted against the lawmaker, who allegedly watched porn in the House of Commons, with demands for action from some Tory and Westminster lawmakers.
The leader in the shadow of the municipality’s Labor Party, MP Tangham Debonera, said: “The Conservatives have known for days about the disgusting behavior of one of their MPs and tried to cover it up.
“From the scandal with Owen Patterson to their failure to take action against their pedophile MP Imran Ahmad Khan, this is a government that is rotting upside down. Britain deserves better. “
Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, added: “If Boris Johnson has a drop of decency left, he will tell Neil Parish to resign immediately.
“In any other job, this would be considered a gross violation and the person in charge would lose their job. Parliament should not be different.
“We do not need to offend women MPs who have witnessed this with a lengthy investigation. All his bosses have to do is ask for his devices and look at his watch history, that’s not rocket science. “
The allegations of pornography come amid a renewed focus on parliamentary misconduct and misogyny, and reports over the weekend that 56 lawmakers, including three cabinet ministers, are facing sexual abuse lawsuits that have been referred to the ICGS.
Women’s charities have warned that Westminster’s work culture is “in the gutter.” The chief executive of the refugee charity told The Independent that the last seven days have been a “difficult week for women”.
Some women MPs also described in detail the sexual harassment they experienced, including Cabinet Minister Anne Marie-Trevelyan, who told LBC on Friday that a male MP once nailed her to a wall and told her she “wanted him”.
The International Trade Secretary said women MPs were still subjected to “wandering hands”, later adding: “It’s never wrong. And I’m not well in Westminster. If you’re a boy, keep your hands in your pockets.
Suela Braverman, the attorney general, added that a minority of men in politics “behave like animals” and tarnish Parliament’s reputation for unacceptable behavior.
Before Mr Parish was identified and the whip for allegedly watching porn in the town hall was stopped, she said she was “ashamed that this man is wearing the Conservative rosette”.
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