Neil Parish, the MP alleged to have watched pornography in the House of Commons is ‘likely to resign by this afternoon’ according to reports.
The MP for Tiverton and Honiton referred himself to the standards commissioner after claims were made by two female colleagues that he had viewed the x-rated content on his mobile phone while in Westminster.
A Conservative source told PA news agency that the MP is likely to resign this afternoon, despite Mr Parish vowing yesterday to continue in his duties as MP and chairman of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
Yesterday, the 65-year-old farmer said he will resign if found guilty by standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, who is yet to say whether she will open an investigation.
Labour’s Ms Harman called on Mr Parish to stand down amid a ‘new low for the House of Commons’.
She told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: ‘If this is what he has done, he should stand down from Parliament right away. It is not right for him to go through the investigation processes if that is what he has done.
‘Clearly he is not fit to be in Parliament. He should accept that and not drag the processes out.’
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to order Mr Parish to ‘resign immediately’.
Earlier today, two Conservative politicians responsible for women’s safeguarding and equalities called for ‘appropriate action’ to be taken after an investigation into allegations Neil Parish MP watched pornography in the Commons.
Asked if it was appropriate for him to carry on, Rachel Maclean, minister for safeguarding, told Times Radio: ‘I genuinely think that’s a matter for him, but of course there are robust processes to support constituents, any member of the public who wants to see their MP, and all of those matters are very much at the forefront of the investigation system that we have.
Senior Tory Karen Bradley urged him to stay away from Parliament and Harriet Harman, the longest-standing female MP, called for his immediate resignation.
Senior Conservative MP Caroline Nokes said it will be ‘difficult’ for Mr Parish to spend the required time in Parliament as a select committee chair.
She also accused the Tory whips of ‘dither and delay’ in not suspending the MP from the parliamentary party until Friday, despite colleagues airing the claims in a meeting three days earlier.
Ms Maclean, the minister responsible for safeguarding women, said ‘clearly what he’s done is unacceptable’ and that he should resign if found to have watched the material deliberately.