British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has suspended a lawmaker because it seems into reviews {that a} member of the occasion watched pornography on his telephone within the House of Commons debating chamber.
Neil Parish, a Conservative member of parliament since 2010, was suspended from the parliamentary occasion after reporting himself to a requirements commissioner, mentioned a spokesperson for the occasion’s chief whip, who oversees self-discipline.
“Having spoken to the chief whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards,” the spokesperson mentioned. “Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative Whip pending the outcome of that investigation.”
Parish mentioned he would cooperate with the enquiry and he declined to remark when requested for particulars of the case.
“Of course, I can understand why they are concerned and I can only apologise for the situation,” he advised reporters when requested whether or not he understood the upset induced to individuals by the case, together with feminine colleagues.
Johnson mentioned on Thursday that watching pornography can be unacceptable in any office.
I’ve made a brief assertion relating to current allegations: https://t.co/4Ll0tFwgs0
— Neil Parish MP (@neil_parish) April 29, 2022
The outcry comes at a time when Johnson and his occasion are beneath strain over events held at his Downing Street workplace and residence when the nation was beneath strict lockdown guidelines. Johnson is dealing with an investigation over whether or not he lied to parliament about these events.
The challenge of sexism in parliament additionally got here to the fore not too long ago after a newspaper revealed an article through which an nameless Conservative lawmaker claimed the deputy chief of the opposition Labour Party, Angela Rayner, sought to distract Johnson in parliament by crossing and uncrossing her legs.
Johnson has criticised the feedback as misogyny. Rayner mentioned she was “crestfallen”.
