A Tory who had the whip withdrawn over claims that he watched pornography in Parliament has vowed to stay on as MP.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.
