Neil Parish
(Picture: PA Media)A former Tory MP who resigned after watching porn in the Commons has admitted his wife later chased him with a pair of scissors.
Neil Parish, the former MP for Tiverton and Honiton, was forced to resign the seat after admitting watching porn in the chamber twice, claiming to have first stumbled on the material while searching for tractors on the internet.
In an interview with ITV’s Lorraine Kelly, Mr Parish thanked his wife for standing by him during the scandal.
He said: “My wife chases me around the kitchen with scissors saying 'snipper snap'. And we all know what bit of my anatomy she's talking about.”
The former MP described the porn-watching as “a moment of madness” after being asked by Kelly: “What were you thinking?"
He added: “I think there are moments of madness in your life and this was one of them and of course, one has plenty of time to regret after.
“I did the right thing, I apologised, and I left Parliament. I should have done it even quicker than I did. I think I went into denial, sort of, really. And I think I went into shock.”
The Conservatives’ 24,000 majority in the Devon seat was overturned by the Liberal Democrats after a by-election following Mr Parish’s resignation.
It heaped further pressure on Boris Johnson’s government only weeks after the Prime Minister survived a confidence vote.
Mr Johnson is now facing further pressure within his party after Downing Street finally admitted the Prime Minister was informed about a sexual misconduct investigation involving Chris Pincher.
It directly contradicting earlier claims that the Prime Minister was not aware of specific allegations.
The PM’s official spokesman said Number 10 has “subsequently been able to ascertain that [Mr Johnson] was informed in some form” about groping claims in 2019.
Previously the PM’s team had insisted Mr Johnson was unaware of official complaints made against the Tamworth MP who resigned as deputy chief whip last week following allegations he inappropriately touched two men at a private members’ club.
