By MP Neil Parish to resign after “moment of madness”
Neil Parish has told the BBC he is resigning as an MP after admitting he watched pornography twice in the House of Commons.
Mr Parish said it had been a “moment of madness” and “I was not proud of what I was doing”.
He said the first time was accidental after looking at tractors, but the second time was deliberate.
He was suspended by the Conservative Party on Friday over the allegations.
Two female colleagues claimed they had seen him looking at adult content on his phone while sitting near them.
Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative parliamentary party, pending the outcome of the investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner Kathryn Stone.
The possible punishments range from apologising to the Commons to suspension or expulsion- if he is found to be guilty by Kathryn Stone.
The BBC reported on Friday, Mr Parish said he would co-operate fully with the inquiry and would await the outcome before making comment.
“Of course it’s embarrassing,” he said. “And it’s embarrassing for my wife and family, and so that’s my main concern at the moment. I have a very supportive wife and I thank her for that.”
Asked if it was a mistake, he said: “I will await the findings of the inquiry.”
In reference to whether it was in error, Mr Parish said: “I did, but let the inquiry look at that.”
Mr Parish also said he would resign if “found guilty” by the inquiry.
In a statement on his website, he said he would continue working as an MP and committee chair.
There have been calls from female colleagues for him resign or stop attending Parliament while under investigation.
On Wednesday, it emerged that a female minister had reported a male colleague for viewing pornographic material while sitting beside her in the Commons chamber.
The female minister said she had also seen the MP watching pornography during a hearing of a select committee, The Times reported.
The allegations were subsequently revealed to have been made about Mr Parish, who said he had referred himself for investigation.
The Times reported, Mr Parish’s wife, Sue Parish, said the allegation was “very embarrassing” and described her husband as “quite a normal guy” and “a lovely person”.
“It shouldn’t have taken days for him to be referred to the process,” Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“It was clear no action had been taken and that for some days Conservative whips knew exactly who he was.”
The delay by the whips to suspend Mr Parish from the Tory party was also criticised by Caroline Nokes, Conservative MP and chair of the women and equalities committee.
