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A Tory who had the whip withdrawn over claims that he watched pornography in Parliament has vowed to stay on as MP.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.
Parish vows to stay on as MP during inquiry into porn claims
A Tory who had the whip withdrawn over claims that he watched pornography in Parliament has vowed to stay on as MP.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.
Read the full story here by Andrew Woodcock
Neil Parish vows to stay on as MP during inquiry into porn in Commons chamber
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.
‘Mere pittance’ offered to hard-up families, Sir Keir says
Governments in Westminster and Holyrood are only offering a “pittance” of help to families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, Sir Keir Starmer said.
The Labour leader insisted there was “so much” more that PM Boris Johnson and FM Nicola Sturgeon could be doing to help hard-up households.
He spoke out on the cost of living crisis as he addressed business leaders at a CBI Scotland event in Edinburgh – arguing that the “consequences of government inaction are hitting businesses very, very hard”.
Sir Keir said: “Millions of families are finding life more difficult than ever. There’s so much that both the UK government and the Scottish government could be doing.
“There’s so much that they should be doing, but instead they offering a mere pittance, or in some cases nothing at all.
“To many people are having to make the choice between heating and eating, and that isn’t just a political phrase, that is for real. Children are going to be cold or hungry or both.”
Disgraced ex-MP Elphicke considering ‘building site work'
Ex-Tory MP Charlie Elphicke who was jailed for sexually assaulting two women has told a hearing that he was considering work on a building site to earn the money to repay £35,000 for court costs.
The jobless former government whip – whose estranged wife Natalie Elphicke has succeeded him as Dover MP – has been claiming benefits while trying to find “any form of employment,” he told the hearing at Uxbridge magistrates’ court today.
The 51-year-old was released half-way through his sentence last September, having been jailed for two years in 2020 after being found guilty of three counts of sexual assault following a month-long trial.
He was ordered to repay the £35,000 in prosecution costs within a year, but his request for an extension was granted so that he could pay it back by 15 September this year.
The court heard that the former lawyer – who is living in a one-bedroom flat in Hammersmith and is under the supervision of Feltham job centre – has no savings or assets, having spent “everything” on his defence.
Elphicke told the court he was hoping to publish books “in due course”. Asked by magistrates if he had considered working at a supermarket to repay the sum, he said he was considering that as well as “building site work”.
Magistrate Ian Chick said he was “perturbed by the lack of payment” so far and ordered the defendant to contribute £200 a month before paying the whole amount by the September deadline.
Who is Neil Parish? And what is he accused of?
Neil Parish MP has had the whip withdrawn while an investigation takes place into claims he watched pornography on his phone in Parliament.
After his identity was revealed today, it was announced that he had reported himself to the parliament’s sleaze watchdog.
So who Mr Parish, and what does he do?
Adam Forrest has the details
Who is Neil Parish? Tory MP suspended over porn-watching claim
65-year-old Remainer is chair of influential committee
Watch: Parish denies Parliament has ‘culture problem’
Lib Dems call on PM to sack Parish over porn claims
The Liberal Democrats are calling on prime minister Boris Johnson to sack Tory MP Neil Parish.
It comes after he was named and suspended today following claims that he had watched pornography in the Commons.
Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, added: “If Boris Johnson had any shred of decency left, he would tell Neil Parish to resign immediately.
“In any other workplace this would count as gross misconduct and the person responsible would lose their job. Parliament should be no different.”
Labour accuses Tories of ‘covering up’ Parish porn claims
Labour is accusing the government of covering up claims that Tory MP Neil Parish was watching pornography in the Commons chamber.
Thangam Debbonaire, Labour’s 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.”
Parish admits MPs can ‘step over the line’ – days before having whip removed
MP Neil Parish, who has had the whip removed over porn-watching claims in the Commons, was asked about the saga earlier this week during an interview with GB News.
During the exchange, he denied there was a culture-wide problem in parliament, but admitted some people occasionally “step over the line”.
“It does have to be dealt with, and dealt with seriously, and that’s what our chief whip’s office will do,” he told the broadcaster, days before the chief whip removed the whip from Mr Parish himself in relation to the allegations.
Parish ‘fourth Tory MP’ to lose whip over sexual misconduct claims
Following the news Tory MP Neil Parish has had the whip removed, the Institute for Government’s Tim Durrant has this:
Tory MP Neil Parish suspended over ‘porn-watching’ claims
Tory MP Neil Parish has had the Conservative whip suspended while he is investigated for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons chamber, the office of the party’s chief whip has said.
“Having spoken to the chief whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Standards Committee of the House of Commons,” a spokesman for Chris Heaton-Harris said.
“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative party whip pending the outcome of that investigation.”
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