Tory MP Neil Parish says he will resign if found guilty of watching porn in House of Commons

ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana reports on the investigation Neil Parish is facing after it was revealed he was alleged to have watched porn in the Commons

Tory MP Neil Parish has said he will resign if he is found guilty of watching porn in the House of Commons.

Speaking to reporters, he refused to say if he watched pornography in the chamber but, when asked if he "opened something by error in the Commons", Mr Parish said he did.

He also acknowledged the situation was very embarrassing for him and his family and revealed he had only told his wife on Friday afternoon.

ITV News Correspondent Rupert Evelyn discusses his interview with Neil Parish after the allegations came to light

Mr Parish said he had referred himself to the Commons authorities and said he would wait until they release their findings before deciding what to do.

The MP for Tiverton and Honiton has had the whip suspended while he is being investigated for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons chamber.

Safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean told ITV News on Saturday that she's "never seen anything like it", adding: "It's completely unacceptable, it is disgusting".

"I can't comprehend what would go through someone's head, I really, really can't - I find it astonishing," added the Tory MP.

"We have to allow him [Mr Parish] to provide his defence. We have to let that process go through."

She said although "everyone is concerned" and wants "women to feel safe when they come into contact with him", Ms Maclean backed Mr Parish's refusal to step down immediately.

"I'm sure that Neil will take the right responsible actions himself while he's cooperating with the inquiry," she added.

As the minister of safeguarding, Ms Maclean highlighted that she is responsible for legislating to protect women and girls from some of the "awful impacts of pornography".

"I find it really disturbing that we're making and passing laws, and putting them on the statute book to protect women and girls, and actually that someone would think it's appropriate while we're doing that to be watching pornography," she added.

A spokeswoman for the Tory Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris said on Friday: “Having spoken to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative Whip pending the outcome of that investigation.”

Why has it taken this long for Neil Parish to be suspended? ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana tries to answer

Writing on his website, Mr Parish 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.

“I will not be making further comments at this stage.”

Commissioner Kathryn Stone will investigate the allegations and can recommend punishments, which could include his suspension from Parliament.

If he's recommended for a suspension of more than 10 days he could face a recall petition which could result in him being ousted as an MP.

Mr Parish, the chair of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, has represented the Devon constituency since 2010.

It comes after two female Tory MPs reportedly told the chief whip this week that they spotted a Tory MP - not named publicly at the time - viewing pornography both in the Commons chamber and in a committee session.

Mr Parish appeared on GB News talking about the allegations earlier this week, before his identity was revealed, and said the claims should be dealt with "seriously".

"You are going to get people that step over the line," he said: "I don't think necessarily a huge culture here but it does need to be dealt with and dealt with seriously - that's what the whips will do in our whips' office".

Mr Parish's office has been contacted but has so far not responded.

Boris Johnson, before Mr Parish was identified, said Parliament's independent complaints and grievances procedure "needs to be activated" over the allegations "and we need to get to understand the facts" over what happened.

Labour said the Tories had known about Mr Parish's alleged conduct for days, but had done nothing about it.

Former Tory minister Caroline Nokes told ITV News she was disappointed it took her party so long to remove the whip but welcomed the move to do so.

“I have been calling for the chief whip to remove the whip since from when we first heard about this happening, it's appalling," she said.

"Nobody should be watching pornography at work, so I'm pleased that that action has been taken and I hope that the two women who complained are being supported through the system as well.”

“I was very disappointed that the whip wasn't withdrawn immediately, it has been now so I am pleased about that and now of course it could go to the independent complaints grievances scheme and be looked at thoroughly but I'm very relieved the chief whip has taken solid action this afternoon,” added Ms Nokes.

An investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was launched after the allegations surfaced during a meeting of Tory MPs on Tuesday.

Attorney General Suella Braverman said if the subject of the complaint was found to have been watching adult material it should result in them "no longer holding their privileged position as a Member of Parliament".

During a visit to Burnley on Thursday, the prime minister had told broadcasters: "I think it's obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace.

"It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let's be absolutely clear about that.

"What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts but, yeah, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable."