Conservative MP Neil Parish has vowed to continue his duties after losing his whip following allegations that he watched porn in the House of Commons.
Mr Parish, the Tory MP for Tiverton and Honiton, said he would be “cooperating fully” with the investigation.
Writing on his website, The MP said: “Following recent allegations regarding an MP’s use of their mobile phone in Parliament, I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the House of Commons.
“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.”
Mr Parish speaking on Wednesday
GB News
Neil Parish
Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament
His comments come after a spokesperson for the Chief Whip confirmed that Mr Parish was reporting himself to the Standards Committee of the House of Commons.
The spokesperson said: "Having spoken to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Standards Committee of the House of Commons.
"Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative Whip pending the outcome of that investigation."
Speaking to GB News about the incident on Wednesday, Mr Parish told GB News' Darren McCaffrey: “I mean, I think the whips office will do a thoroughly investigation and we will wait and see that result, and I think from that, then the decision will have to be made, what action to be taken."
When asked if there was a problem with culture in Parliament, Mr Parish said: “I think when you've got sort of 650 members of Parliament in what is, you know, a very sort of very intense area, I mean you are going to get people that step over the line.
“I mean is it, I don't think there's necessarily a huge culture here, but I think it does have to be dealt with and dealt with seriously.
“And I think you know that's what the whips will do in our whips office.”
The Conservative MP, a father of two and a grandfather of two, is the chair of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
Speaking earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the allegations against the then unnamed MP “totally unacceptable”, while senior ministers hit out at Westminster’s “shameful” culture.
