Boris Johnson news – live: Neil Parish vows to stay on as MP after ‘porn-watching’ claims
Opposition parties have called on him to resign as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in east Devon
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A Tory who had the whip withdrawn over claims that he watched pornography in Parliament has vowed to stay on as MP.
Neil Parish – who was today identified as the accused – was suspended from the House of Commons pending an investigation into the claims. He has referred himself for investigation by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone.
Opposition parties have called on 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 said he hopes to continue with his work as an MP at least until the probe ends.
He said: “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.”
The allegations against Mr Parish were made by a female MP earlier this week. She said she had been sat next to a male MP inside the chamber when she noticed he was watching pornographic content on his phone.
‘Encouraging signs’ that Rwanda threat is keeping migrants in France, claims ex-Border Force chief
Our politics reporter Adam Forrest writes:
The former Border Force boss Tony Smith has claimed that there are “encouraging signs” that the government’s plan to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda is acting as deterrent on Channel border crossings.
Mr Smith told the Press Association it was “too soon to tell”, but added: “The early signs are encouraging. Time will tell … the passing of the new bill into law yesterday won’t have escaped the migrants’ attention.”
He added: “Given a choice between staying in France and going to Rwanda, I expect many would choose the former.”
However, Matthew Rycroft, the civil servant in charge at the Home Office, recently admitted to a lack of evidence showing the plan will act as a deterrent.
“I do not believe sufficient evidence can be obtained to demonstrate that the policy will have a deterrent effect significant enough to make the policy value for money,” he said in a letter released earlier this month.
Watch: Lib Dem MP says ‘there has to be a sanction’ over porn MP scandal
Labour bags 5% lead over Tories week before local elections
Keir Starmer’s party has secured five more percentage points than the Tories in one of the latest opinion polls.
It comes ahead of the UK’s local elections, being held on 5 May.
The latest Ipsos poll has Labour on 40 per cent and the Conservatives on 35.
All the latest figures are here:
Sinn Fein set to be Northern Ireland’s largest party for first time
Over to Northern Ireland now, where Sinn Fein is on course to be the largest party at Stormont and select the country’s first minister for the very first time.
The Irish nationalists hold a six-point lead over the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the latest poll ahead of crucial 5 May elections, with experts warning of a constitutional crisis on the way, writes Adam Forrest.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he was “not bothered” by the shock poll and claimed to be confident his party would still win the Stormont election. But if the latest results are reflected in votes cast next week, it will make the nationalists the biggest players at Stormont – and would allow the party to nominate vice president Michelle O’Neill for first minister.
Sinn Fein set to be Northern Ireland’s largest party for first time
Michelle O’Neill on course to be nominated first minister – but DUP say ‘not bothered’ by shock poll
Watch: Ex-health sec claims he ‘didn’t know about asymptomatic transmission’
‘Inexplicable’ for Tories to delay action on ‘porn-watching’ MP - Dodds
More on the ‘porn MP’ story now. Labour chair Anneliese Dodds was asked to comment on the embarrassing situation today, to which she scrutinised the Tory party’s lack of a response. She said:
“It’s inexplicable that the Conservative Party is refusing to take action against their MP. The Conservatives already know who this person is. If this happened in any other workplace they’d be sacked.
“Boris Johnson needs to take action today.”
It echoes Keir Starmer’s sentiments on Thursday, when the Labour leader urged Boris Johnson to take immediate action against the unnamed MP.
“This is an unusual case because the Tory Party knows who this individual is,” he said while on the local elections campaign trail in Cumbria. “I think that they should deal with it and deal with it sooner rather than later and take appropriate action.”
Referring to the Conservatives’ call for the women who made the allegation to formally complain to the relevant parliament watchdog, Sir Keir added: “So, nothing wrong with the independent process, but I think the Tory Party, they know who this is, they should take action now.”
ICYMI: BBC licence fee facing axe as Dorries brands model ‘outdated’
The end of the BBC’s licence fee has moved a step closer after the government outlined plans to overhaul the broadcaster’s funding model.
A white paper laid out by Nadine Dorries said there were “clear challenges on the horizon to the sustainability of the licence fee” as viewing habits change.
It came as the culture secretary claimed the corporation’s was “completely outdated” and promised decisions on its future “well ahead” of the BBC charter renewal in 202, writes Charlene Rodrigues.
BBC licence fee facing axe as Dorries says funding model ‘completely outdated’
Culture secretary said the government will also be looking at ways media watchdog Ofcom can ‘hold the BBC to account’
Security to be tailored for MPs based on threats
Individual MPs are to be given “bespoke” security advice on any threats they may face following a review carried out in the wake of the murder of Sir David Amess.
MPs have been told of the changes which, it is understood, will involve a move away from standardisedsecurity measures to a more tailored approach.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Home Secretary Priti Patel ordered a review of existing measures after Sir David was stabbed to death while holding a surgery in his Southend constituency last October.
Earlier this month, 26-year-old Ali Harbi Ali was given a whole-life prison sentence after being found guilty of murder and preparing terrorist acts.
Sir David was the second MP to be murdered in less than six years following the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox by a far-right extremist in 2016.
The review was carried out by the Parliamentary Security Department, alongside the police, the Home Office and other government security experts.
Details of its recommendations remain confidential for security reasons.
A parliamentary spokeswoman said: “It is a fundamental principle of democracy that Members and their staff are able to perform their parliamentary duties safely - both on and off the estate.”
Campaigners lose court battle over ministers’ communications
Two campaign groups say they aim to appeal after losing a High Court fight over ministers’ deleting of messages and using private accounts on systems such as WhatsApp for Government business:
Campaigners to appeal after losing court battle over ministers’ communications
Two groups complained that ministers were breaching the law by deleting messages and using systems such as WhatsApp.
Minister shares email from man branding her remarks on sexual harassment ‘annoying’
A cabinet minister has shared an email she received from a member of the public this morning, appearing to suggest comments she made about her experiences of sexual harassment at Westminster were not fair to men.
International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan claimed earlier she was once “pinned up against a wall” by a male colleague and told she “must want him because he was a powerful man”. It came after she issued a warning to male MPs on Sky News: “If you’re a bloke, keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.”
Ms Trevelyan later shared an email she had been sent - with the sender’s name blocked out - which seemed to suggest women were as much to blame as men. Her advice, he said, “suggests any man who doesn’t have his hands tucked away can be suspected of being a sexual predator”.
He then went on a bizarre rant, in which he suggested the Tory MP should instead spend her time encouraging her “female colleagues on both sides of the house to cover up their legs while on full show to the House and to the public”.
“This further applies to female TV announcers who ... always manage to display bare knees above the announcement table,” the man added, before calling her comments “annoying” and signing off the email with a proclamation that he is “happy married”.
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