Neil Parish has said he will stay on as an MP during an investigation into allegations of watching pornography on a phone in the House of Commons chamber.
Mr Parish was stripped of the Conservative whip today after referring himself for investigation by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone, and there have been calls for him to resign as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in east Devon.
But in a statement released on his website, the Commons Environment Committee chair was careful not to make any admission of guilt and made clear he hopes to continue with his work as an MP at least until the probe ends.
Breaking his silence on the allegations, Mr Parish said: “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.”
His brief remarks appeared to suggest he may dispute the claims of two female Tories that they saw him watching a pornographic video on his smartphone, referring only to “allegations regarding an MP’s use of their mobile phone in Parliament”.
But they also opened the door for an eventual resignation if he is found guilty by the Commissioner and recommended for sanction – which could range from an apology to suspension from the House – by the Commons Standards Committee, as he referred only to remaining MP “whilst [the inquiry] is ongoing”.
Speaking to reporters outside his Devon home, Mr Parish repeatedly declined to confirm suggestions that he plans to say in his defence that the offensive material had been sent to his phone by someone else and that he opened it in error, saying: “I will await the findings of the inquiry”.
Asked if he recognised the offence caused to female colleagues, he said: “Of course I can understand why they are concerned and I can only apologise for the situation, but I will maintain my duties as MP.”
A by-election in Mr Parish rural West Country constituency would hold little for Boris Johnson’s Conservatives to fear in normal circumstances, as he held the seat by around 24,000 votes in the 2019 general election, with Labour in second place and Liberal Democrats a distant third.
However, Tory high command will be all too aware that the result very closely replicates that in North Shropshire – a 23,000 majority from 2019, with Labour second and Lib Dems far behind – which fell to Lib Dems on a sensational 37 per cent swing last December following the resignation of disgraced Owen Paterson after a financial scandal.
