The 65-year-old supporter has been expelled from the parliamentary party and is under investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. It comes after politicians on all sides reacted angrily to allegations initially made privately by two female Tory lawmakers during a meeting with party officials Tuesday night. At the end of days of intense speculation about the identity of the man who allegedly watched porn, Mr. Parish, the Tiverton and Honiton MP from 2010, suspended the whip on Friday. The 65-year-old, who also chairs the Joint Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has now referred to the parliamentary commissioner for standards. Commissioner Catherine Stone could launch an investigation if she believes Mr Paris has caused “significant damage to the reputation and integrity” of the House of Commons. A second investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) – set up in the wake of the Me Too scandal – began after the allegations surfaced. However, Labor MP Harriet Harman insisted Mr Paris should resign “immediately” if the allegations were true, saying the incident was a “new low” for the House of Commons. Ms Harman, the House Speaker – the longest-serving female MP – told BBC Radio 4 PM: “If he has done that, he should resign immediately. “It’s not right for him to go through the investigation process, if he has done that. He is obviously not capable of being in Parliament. “He must accept it and not pull the strings.” A statement on Parish’s website, however, made it clear that he would remain an MP and fulfill his “duties” to his constituents. He wrote: “After complaints about the use of a mobile phone by a Member of Parliament, I referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the House of Commons. “I will cooperate fully in any investigation, and as long as it is ongoing, I will continue to serve as an MP for Tiverton and Honiton. I will not make any further comments at this stage. “ “Mr Parish has been expelled from the Conservative Party pending the outcome of this inquiry,” he added. Following his suspension, it also emerged that Mr Parish had been asked about the allegation that a Member had watched porn in the House of Commons, telling GB News that he should be taken “seriously”. In the interview, Mr Paris also denied that there was a cultural problem of half-heartedness in Parliament – but said some MEPs could “cross the line”. “I believe that the whip office will do a thorough investigation and we will wait to see this result and I think from that, then the decision should be made what action should be taken,” he said. Asked if there was a culture of bigotry in Parliament, Mr Parish replied: “When you have 650 Members of Parliament in a very strong area, you will make people cross the line. “I do not think there is necessarily a huge culture here, but I think it needs to be tackled and tackled seriously and I think that is what the whips will do.” The whip move on Friday followed accusations that the Conservatives had failed to act against the lawmaker who allegedly watched porn in the House of Commons, with calls for action by some Tory lawmakers and Westminster opposition parties. The shadow leader of the Labor Party, MP Thangam Debbonaire, said: “The Conservatives have known for days about the disgusting behavior of one of their MPs and have tried to cover it up. “From the Owen Paterson scandal to their failure to act against their pedophile MP Imran Ahmad Khan, this is a government that is rotting upside down. “Britain deserves better.” Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, added: “If Boris Johnson had a trace of decency, he would have told Neil Paris to resign immediately. “In any other workplace this would be considered a serious misconduct and the manager would lose his job. Parliament must not be different. “We do not need to offend women MPs who have seen this with a long investigation. “All his bosses need to do is ask for his devices and look at his television history. This is not rocket science.” The pornography allegations come amid a renewed focus on misconduct and misogyny in Parliament and reports at the weekend that 56 lawmakers – including three cabinet ministers – were facing allegations of sexual misconduct before the ICGS. Women’s charities have warned that Westminster’s work culture is “in the loop”. The CEO of the refugee charity told the Independent that the last seven days had been a “difficult week for women”. Some women MPs have also described in detail the sexual harassment they have experienced, including Cabinet Secretary Anne Marie-Trevelyan, who told LBC on Friday that a male MP once nailed her to a wall and told her she “wants him ». The international trade minister said women MPs were still subject to “wandering hands”, adding later: “It’s never okay anywhere. I’m not well in Westminster either. If you are a dude – keep your hands in your pockets “. Attorney General Suella Braverman added that a minority of men in politics “behave like animals” and bring Parliament into disrepute with unacceptable behavior. Before recognizing Mr Parish and suspending the whip for alleged pornography in the House of Commons, he said he was “ashamed that this man was carrying the Conservative rosette”.
