Anger as he refuses to stand down as an MP
NEIL Parish rejected calls to stand down as an MP immediately yesterday – but said he will quit if he is found guilty.
Labour MP and Mother of the House Harriet Harman said Mr Parish should ‘resign immediately’ and said there was a culture of ‘male impunity’ in Parliament.
She said that slow investigations in Parliament over allegations such as this ‘undermine democracy’. ‘This is a new low for the House of Commons and we ought to come down on this like a ton of bricks,’ she told Times Radio.
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper added: ‘If Boris Johnson had any shred of decency left, he would tell Neil Parish to resign immediately.’
Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chairman of the women and wqualities committee, said she had been ‘disappointed’ that the whip was not removed immediately but was ‘very relieved’ that Mr Parish has been suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party. She told ITV News: ‘I’ve been calling for the Chief Whip to remove the whip from when we first heard about this incident.
It’s appalling, nobody should be watching pornography at work. I’m pleased that action has been taken and I hope that the two women who complained are being supported through the system as well.’ Meanwhile Labour accused the Tories of trying to cover up the incident through a ‘secretive and time-consuming’ process.
Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the Commons, said: ‘The Conservatives knew for days about the disgusting behaviour of one of their MPs and tried to cover it up. From the Owen Paterson scandal to their failure to act against their paedophile MP Imran Ahmad Khan, this is a government rotting from the head down. Britain deserves better.’
But Mr Parish issued a statement on his website saying he would not be standing down, saying: ‘Following recent allegations regarding an MP’s use of their mobile phone in Parliament, I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the House of Commons.’
‘I will be cooperating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton.
‘I will not be making further comments at this stage.’
However, he said he would resign his seat if found guilty, adding: ‘I wasn’t going to until such time as I had referred myself to the authorities. I will not remain if I am found guilty.’
‘A new low for the House of Commons’