Ministers queue up to condemn ‘porn viewing’
BORIS Johnson has described allegations that a Tory MP watched pornography in the House of Commons chamber as “totally unacceptable”, as senior ministers hit out yesterday at Westminster’s “shameful” culture.
The charge levelled against the unnamed Conservative is set to be examined under Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which investigates allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct.
Attorney General Suella Braverman said, if the subject of the complaint was found to have been watching adult material, it should result in them “no longer holding their privileged position as a Member of Parliament”.
During a visit to Burnley, the Prime Minister told broadcasters: “I think it’s obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace. It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let’s be absolutely clear about that.
“What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts but, yes, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.”
Chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris called for the independent investigation into the pornography-watching claims, after the allegations surfaced during a meeting of Tory MPs at Westminster on Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for Mr HeatonHarris said: “Following allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the House of Commons, the chief whip has asked that this matter be referred to the ICGS. Upon the conclusion of any ICGS investigation, the chief whip will take appropriate action.”
Under the ICGS, an investigator would examine the case and Kathryn Stone, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, would then issue a finding. In a serious case like this, a sanction would normally be decided by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which would also hear any appeal.
The IEP could recommend sanctions including expulsion from the
Commons or a suspension – which could potentially trigger a by-election under the recall process if it is for longer than 10 sitting days. Only witnesses to the pornography-viewing could make a complaint about the MP under the ICGS.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “There have been several instances of inappropriate and sexist behaviour recently in Parliament. It is shameful.
“Parliamentarians are public servants and it is their duty to set an example of character and integrity. The culture of Westminster needs to change.”
Ms Braverman said there was a “very small minority of men – and it is men – who fall short and there are some bad apples who are out of order – who behave like animals, and are bringing Parliament into disrepute to be honest”.
The MP for Fareham told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour: “I keep running through my mind how and why someone would be so brazen... so reckless, so stupid, so appallingly badly behaved to be watching porn in the workplace, in broad daylight, in the presence of colleagues.”