A British MP, Neil Parish, targeted by an internal investigation after being accused of watching pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons, has been suspended by the Conservative group in Parliament.
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The 65-year-old elected official has reported himself to the Parliament’s committee responsible for questions of the conduct of deputies, announced a spokesman for the leader of the Tories in Parliament, Chris Heaton-Harris.
“Mr. Parish has been suspended from the Conservative group pending the findings of the investigation,” according to the same source.
Boris Johnson’s British Conservative Party launched an investigation on Wednesday after an MP accused Mr Parish, 65, of viewing pornographic content in the House of Commons. He had not been publicly named at the time.
“This attitude is totally unacceptable,” said disciplinary officials within the ruling party, promising that “measures will be taken”.
The incident took place in the midst of a debate on sexism in Parliament.
On Sunday, the Sunday Times revealed that three ministers and two opposition MPs are currently facing charges of “bad behavior of a sexual nature”, a term which can cover sexual harassment, voyeurism or even sexual assault.
They are among 56 deputies reported to an office responsible for registering these complaints, set up following the “Metoo” movement.
A misogynistic attack on Labor Party number two Angela Rayner, reported by the tabloid Mail on Sunday, also sparked controversy.
According to the newspaper, unnamed Tory MPs accuse Ms Rayner of enjoying distracting the prime minister by crossing and uncrossing her legs in Parliament, which Boris Johnson on Monday called “sexist and misogynistic bullshit”.