A British lawmaker from the ruling Conservative Party has resigned after admitting he had viewed pornography on his phone in the chambers of the House of Commons.
Neil Parish, a member of Parliament since 2010, announced his decision on Saturday following pressure from members of his own party who sought to defuse allegations of sleaze before Britain holds local elections on May 5.
The ballot is seen as pivotal for Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is facing a voter backlash over parties breaking lockdowns in government offices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parish, 65, resigned after what he described as a “crazy” moment. The chairman of the House’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said he was trying to view a tractor website, but stumbled across a similarly named porn site and viewed it “a bit.”
“My biggest sin was that on another occasion I came a second time,” he told the BBC. “And that was intentional.”
‘Enough is enough’
Report that a legislator watched porn between the historic blue benches of the House of Representatives has sparked a wave of complaints from women in Congress about the sexual misconduct and harassment they face while doing their jobs.
Long known for its flashy, masculine culture, Parliament is now a more diverse place, with women holding nearly 40% of the seats in the House of Commons. Still, lawmakers and staff say harassment and inappropriate behavior remains rampant under a system that largely allows members to police themselves.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the parish’s resignation should be the moment for people across the UK to say “enough is enough.”
“I don’t think there can really be any other outcome to what has come to light about this particular MP over the last few days,” she said while campaigning in Fife, Scotland. . “Watching cell phone porn in the House of Commons while you’re there representing the voters is unacceptable.”
Parish rejected the notion that he intended to intimidate anyone.
“For all my right and wrong, I’m not proud of what I’ve done,” he said. “And one thing that I didn’t do, and which I’m going to bury as a fact, is that I didn’t really make sure people could see it. In fact, I was trying to do the exact opposite. again.”
The scandal comes at a precarious time for Johnson, who will face pressure to resign if the Conservatives do poorly in local elections.
