LONDON: Britain’s ruling Conservative social gathering on Friday suspended one among its MPs pending an investigation into claims he watched pornography on his cell phone within the Home of Commons chamber.
The identification of MP Neil Parish, 65, ends days of hypothesis for the reason that allegation emerged on Tuesday, amid accusations of a misogynistic setting in parliament.
“Having spoken to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements,” stated a spokeswoman for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris, who’s in command of social gathering self-discipline.
“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative whip pending the result of that investigation,” she stated, which means he has been briefly suspended from the social gathering.
Parish wrote on his web site that “following latest allegations concerning an MP’s use of their cell phone in parliament, I’ve referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements within the Home of Commons”.
He stated he would cooperate with any investigation and proceed to carry out his duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in southwest England, regardless of requires his resignation.
Harriet Harman from the opposition Labour social gathering, referred to as the Mom of the Home because the longest serving feminine MP, stated Parish ought to stand down as MP.
“This marks a brand new low for the Home of Commons,” Harman, a former minister for girls in Tony Blair’s administration, advised BBC radio.
“If that is what he has executed, he ought to stand down from parliament immediately. It’s not proper for him to undergo the investigation processes if that’s what he has executed,” she stated.
Parish, a farmer who chairs the Commons Setting, Meals and Rural Affairs Committee, was questioned concerning the porn allegation on Wednesday, earlier than he had been publicly recognized.
“I feel the whips workplace will do an intensive investigation and we are going to wait and see that end result and I feel from that then the choice must be made what motion might be taken,” Parish advised GB Information.
He then denied there was a big cultural downside in parliament.
“We have got some 650 members of parliament in what’s a really intense space,” Parish stated.
“We’re going to get people who step over the road. I do not assume there’s essentially an enormous tradition right here however I feel it does need to be handled and handled severely and that is what the whips will do.”
At the least 56 MPs, together with three ministers, are presently being probed over allegations of sexual misconduct by parliament’s personal complaints workplace.
The Conservative social gathering has been accused of misogyny after the Mail on Sunday final week quoted unnamed Tory MPs accusing the deputy chief of the opposition Labour social gathering, Angela Rayner, of making an attempt to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnson along with her legs.
The identification of MP Neil Parish, 65, ends days of hypothesis for the reason that allegation emerged on Tuesday, amid accusations of a misogynistic setting in parliament.
“Having spoken to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements,” stated a spokeswoman for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris, who’s in command of social gathering self-discipline.
“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative whip pending the result of that investigation,” she stated, which means he has been briefly suspended from the social gathering.
Parish wrote on his web site that “following latest allegations concerning an MP’s use of their cell phone in parliament, I’ve referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements within the Home of Commons”.
He stated he would cooperate with any investigation and proceed to carry out his duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in southwest England, regardless of requires his resignation.
Harriet Harman from the opposition Labour social gathering, referred to as the Mom of the Home because the longest serving feminine MP, stated Parish ought to stand down as MP.
“This marks a brand new low for the Home of Commons,” Harman, a former minister for girls in Tony Blair’s administration, advised BBC radio.
“If that is what he has executed, he ought to stand down from parliament immediately. It’s not proper for him to undergo the investigation processes if that’s what he has executed,” she stated.
Parish, a farmer who chairs the Commons Setting, Meals and Rural Affairs Committee, was questioned concerning the porn allegation on Wednesday, earlier than he had been publicly recognized.
“I feel the whips workplace will do an intensive investigation and we are going to wait and see that end result and I feel from that then the choice must be made what motion might be taken,” Parish advised GB Information.
He then denied there was a big cultural downside in parliament.
“We have got some 650 members of parliament in what’s a really intense space,” Parish stated.
“We’re going to get people who step over the road. I do not assume there’s essentially an enormous tradition right here however I feel it does need to be handled and handled severely and that is what the whips will do.”
At the least 56 MPs, together with three ministers, are presently being probed over allegations of sexual misconduct by parliament’s personal complaints workplace.
The Conservative social gathering has been accused of misogyny after the Mail on Sunday final week quoted unnamed Tory MPs accusing the deputy chief of the opposition Labour social gathering, Angela Rayner, of making an attempt to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnson along with her legs.
