LONDON: Britain’s ruling Conservative Party on Friday suspended one of its MPs in the Chamber of the House of Commons pending an investigation into claims he had viewed pornography on his mobile phone.
Identification of MP Neil ParishThe 65-year-old has sparked speculation since the allegations surfaced on Tuesday amid allegations of an anti-women environment in Parliament.
“After speaking to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish Mp3 Reporting himself to Parliamentary Commissioner Standard,” said a spokesman for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris, who is in charge of party discipline.
“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative whip until the results of that investigation,” he said, meaning he has been temporarily suspended from the party.
The parish wrote on its website that “Following recent allegations by an MP regarding the use of his mobile phone in Parliament, I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner of Standards in the House of Commons”.
He said he would cooperate with any investigation and would continue to perform his duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in south-west England, despite demands for his resignation.
Harriet Herman of the opposition Labor Party, known as the Mother of the House as the longest-serving female MP, said Parish should stand as MP.
“This is a new low for the House of Commons,” Herman, a former women minister in Tony Blair’s administration, told BBC radio.
“If he has done this, he should immediately withdraw from Parliament. If he has done so, then it is not right for him to go through the investigative procedures,” he said.
Farmer Parish, who chairs the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee, was questioned on Wednesday about the porn allegation before being publicly recognized.
“I think the whip office will do a thorough investigation and we’ll wait and see that outcome and I think that’s going to take a decision after that,” Parish told GB News.
He then denied that there was a major cultural problem in Parliament.
“We have some 650 members of parliament who are in very intense territory,” Parish said.
“We’re going to bring people over the line. I don’t think there’s a huge culture here, but I think it should be dealt with and dealt with seriously and that’s what will work.”
At least 56 lawmakers, including three ministers, are currently being investigated by parliament’s own complaints office over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Conservative Party has been accused of misbehavior after last week’s mail on Sunday quoted unnamed Tory lawmakers as opposition Labor deputy leader Angela Renner accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson of trying to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnson from his feet .
Identification of MP Neil ParishThe 65-year-old has sparked speculation since the allegations surfaced on Tuesday amid allegations of an anti-women environment in Parliament.
“After speaking to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish Mp3 Reporting himself to Parliamentary Commissioner Standard,” said a spokesman for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris, who is in charge of party discipline.
“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative whip until the results of that investigation,” he said, meaning he has been temporarily suspended from the party.
The parish wrote on its website that “Following recent allegations by an MP regarding the use of his mobile phone in Parliament, I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner of Standards in the House of Commons”.
He said he would cooperate with any investigation and would continue to perform his duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in south-west England, despite demands for his resignation.
Harriet Herman of the opposition Labor Party, known as the Mother of the House as the longest-serving female MP, said Parish should stand as MP.
“This is a new low for the House of Commons,” Herman, a former women minister in Tony Blair’s administration, told BBC radio.
“If he has done this, he should immediately withdraw from Parliament. If he has done so, then it is not right for him to go through the investigative procedures,” he said.
Farmer Parish, who chairs the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee, was questioned on Wednesday about the porn allegation before being publicly recognized.
“I think the whip office will do a thorough investigation and we’ll wait and see that outcome and I think that’s going to take a decision after that,” Parish told GB News.
He then denied that there was a major cultural problem in Parliament.
“We have some 650 members of parliament who are in very intense territory,” Parish said.
“We’re going to bring people over the line. I don’t think there’s a huge culture here, but I think it should be dealt with and dealt with seriously and that’s what will work.”
At least 56 lawmakers, including three ministers, are currently being investigated by parliament’s own complaints office over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Conservative Party has been accused of misbehavior after last week’s mail on Sunday quoted unnamed Tory lawmakers as opposition Labor deputy leader Angela Renner accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson of trying to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnson from his feet .