Neil Parish to resign as MP after admitting to watching porn in Commons

Conservative Neil Parish says he will resign as an MP as he's investigated for allegedly watching porn in the House of Commons.

Bowing to pressure to quit, the 65-year-old farmer admitted on Saturday that he watched adult material twice in Parliament - claiming the first was accidental after looking at tractors online, before then acting deliberately.

Mr Parish, who is a farmer by trade, said the second time was while he was sitting waiting to vote on the side of the Commons chamber, in a "moment of madness".

The select committee chairman had initially vowed to continue as MP for Tiverton and Honiton but said he would quit after recognising the "furore" and "damage" he was causing his family and constituency.

He said in an interview that he recognised the "furore" and "damage" he was causing his family and his constituency in Devon before deciding "it just wasn't worth carrying on".

"The situation was, funnily enough it was tractors I was looking at, so I did get into another website with sort of a very similar name and I watched it for a bit, which I shouldn't have done," Mr Parish said.

"My crime, my most biggest crime, is that on another occasion I went in a second time, and that was deliberate.

"That was sitting waiting to vote on the side of the chamber."

He said it was a "moment of madness", which he accepted was "totally wrong", as he insisted he was "not making sure people could see it" and was trying to be discreet.

"I was wrong what I was doing, but this idea that I was there watching it, intimidating women, I mean I have 12 years in Parliament and probably got one of the best reputations ever - or did have."

When pressed on why he chose to view the material in the Commons, he said: "I don't know, I think I must've taken complete leave of my senses and my sensibilities and my sense of decency, everything."

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner expressed bafflement at the MP's excuse, adding: "Neil Parish must think you were all born yesterday. Boris Johnson's Conservatives are a national embarrassment."

The Tiverton and Honiton Conservative Association thanked Mr Parish for his "service to our communities" since becoming MP in 2010, adding: "We support his decision to step down as our Member of Parliament."

His departure will pave the way for a by-election in the Tory safe seat, which was won by Mr Parish by more than 14,000 votes over Labour in 2019.

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