'Suspend him too': Ex-MP Neil Parish says it's 'unfair' Chris Pincher hasn't lost whip

Neil Parish (left) quit as an MP after being caught watching porn in the Commons but Chris Pincher remains in the Parliamentary Tory party. Credit: Parliament

Disgraced former MP Neil Parish, who resigned from Parliament after watching pornography in the Commons, has said Tory ex-deputy chief whip Christopher Pincher should be sacked over allegations that he groped two men while drunk.

He said he's "very cross" that Mr Pincher has not been suspended from the party over accusations "because the first thing they did to me was remove the whip".

He added: "In order to be equal and treat people equally, they must at the very least do the same [to Christopher Pincher]."

Asked if Mr Pincher should resign or be removed from Parliament, Mr Parish said: "I think the whip should at least be suspended, withdrawn, until he refers himself to the special standards board and then it will be for them to decide, but he will have to decide his future as well."

Mr Pincher resigned as Boris Johnson's deputy chief whip last night, telling the prime minister he could no longer remain in government after he "drank too much" and "embarrassed" himself.


Neil Parish says Chris Pincher should be suspended from the Tory Party:

According to The Sun, he was allegedly seen acting in a sexually inappropriate way toward two men on Wednesday night at the Carlton Club - a Tory Party private members' club in central London.

ITV News understands two Tory MPs complained to whips about Mr Pincher.

Despite quitting government, he still remains a Tory MP, with the party's whips office said to be considering whether he should be expelled.

Former ministers Caroline Nokes and Karen Bradley have written to Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris urging him to boot Mr Pincher from the party.

Several other Tory MPs have also been urging the party's whips to remove Mr Pincher, ITV News has been told, with at least one comparing him to Mr Parish.

Mr Parish, whose actions re-ignited questions over sleaze in Westminster, was adamant the whip should be withdrawn from his former parliamentary colleague.

The former Tiverton and Honiton said it was "unfair" for Mr Pincher to remain in the party while he was forced out.

The Tories lost Mr Parish's seat to the Liberal Democrats in a by-election last week.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner hit out at Prime Minister Johnson over his failure to withdraw the Conservative whip from Mr Pincher.

"Boris Johnson and the Conservatives' failure to act just shows the rot that has set in at the heart of this Government.

"If this prime minister had an ounce of decency he would have already suspended the Tory Whip.

"It's now for the Conservative MPs who continue to prop up this prime minister's paralysed administration to step up, do the decent thing and show him the door."