Tory MP Neil Parish had to resign for watching porn in Commons – but why on earth is it legal?
IT has been a rotten old week for sleaze in politics. In an attempt to root out sexism and harassment, female Tory MPs met on Tuesday night to share their depressing tales. It was at this heated meeting that allegations surfaced about their colleague Neil Parish, with one minister revealing she had witnessed him watching […]
IT has been a rotten old week for sleaze in politics.
In an attempt to root out sexism and harassment, female Tory MPs met on Tuesday night to share their depressing tales.
It was at this heated meeting that allegations surfaced about their colleague Neil Parish, with one minister revealing she had witnessed him watching porn on his mobile phone while in the Commons chamber.
Parish, the Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, yesterday confirmed the claim was true — and said he will resign after he “accidentally” opened one X-rated video while looking at tractors in a “moment of madness”, before deliberately watching the clip a second time in the Commons.
In doing so, the MP acted with nothing but contempt — both for those around him and for the office that he holds.
Incredibly, at first Mr Parish failed to resign. Instead, after three days of gossip and rumour, he had the party whip forcibly removed on Friday, after reporting himself to the Commons’ standards watchdog.
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Quitting is the only decent thing he could do.
His wife might forgive him but voters want their MPs to be focused in the House fighting their corner and listening to debates, not watching porn.
Perhaps the most shocking thing to come out of this sorry affair is that watching porn in public is not illegal.
It turns out that watching explicit videos on a device in a public place is not a breach of the law, as long as the material you’re viewing is legal.
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Who knew that whether or not to watch porn at work all came down to a judgment call?
I’d love to think of this sorry incident as an aberration — but what became clear last week is that allegations of sexism and inappropriate conduct in Westminster are becoming increasingly rife.
So much so that Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the International Trade Secretary, feels the need to remind male MPs that a good rule of thumb is to “behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room”.
The bar is very low if these men need to be given such basic advice on how to conduct themselves, isn’t it?
It seems that pornography has become so commonplace that many of us have become desensitised to it.
Some men seem to think that they can watch it on their phone as casually as they might scroll through Twitter.
We’ve all heard reports of blokes watching explicit content in front of other train passengers.
It seems many are unable to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable times to watch X-rated videos.
Here’s a tip: If you are watching porn on your phone, at work, and in full view of your colleagues then it’s unacceptable.
Also, the House of Commons is not just any workplace.
It is important that inside Parliament, members hold themselves to the highest standards of judgment and behaviour.
Sadly, it feels like there’s a never-ending merry-go-round of sleaze in politics at the moment.
Astonishingly, 56 MPs are currently under investigation by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme for sexual misconduct.
That includes three Cabinet ministers and two members of the shadow cabinet.
Reports claim that “at least one” of the complaints is “believed to involve criminality and concerns a claim that an MP bribed a member of staff in return for sexual favours”.
Is it too much to expect the people who are allegedly devoted to public service to show some restraint and character?
The Palace of Westminster is a building steeped in power imbalances and entitlement — and that must be stamped out.
Home tie for James
HE’S coming home! James Corden is heading back to Blighty after stepping down as the host of The Late Late Show in America.
He described it as “the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make” and said he was looking forward to new opportunities.
After living in LA since he took over presenting duties in 2015, the comedian will now move back to the UK to spend more time with his family.
The show has made him a household name in the States but I have no doubt he will make a huge success of whatever comes next.
James and I recently watched West Ham play in Lyon.
I admire him for his huge talents, his business smarts and, of course, his excellent taste in football.
I can’t wait for him to return.
Supply of HRT is vital
HORMONE Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a life-saver for some women – me included.
So it’s incredible that this vital medication that we require to help cope with the effects of the menopause is in short supply.
The menopause is not something that can be avoided, it is not a choice, and the effects can be devastating.
Some of us are moody, some have hot flushes, night sweats or difficulty sleeping.
Some have problems with memory and concentration and some of us have ALL of the above.
How has the Government allowed this HRT shortage to even happen?
I can’t help but feel that if a million men were affected in the same way, we would have seen a great deal of action a great deal sooner.
Drug problem in sharp focus
SOMETIMES society seems to treat going to rehab as if it’s a personal failing.
But good for Lottie Moss for openly discussing the reasons behind her stay earlier this year.
Supermodel Kate’s little sister claimed she was given alcohol and drugs to get through photoshoots.
The 24-year-old said she thought taking drugs was “normal” in the modelling industry as she alleged she was given them when she was “exhausted” at events.
No wonder she has concluded that she didn’t feel like people cared about her wellbeing.
And no wonder that she ended up in rehab as a result.
What a revealing snapshot of what goes on behind the scenes at some modelling shoots.
I faced basic sexism
IT’S not often that I can put myself in Angela Rayner’s shoes – but last week I knew exactly what she was going through.
Reports alleged that Labour’s deputy leader joked about crossing and uncrossing her legs in order to distract Boris Johnson at PMQs.
She firmly denies the claims.
I have been on the receiving end of the exact same accusation.
At the start of my career, a chairman of another football club claimed I would pull a “Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct” in order to distract a football tribunal panel.
We stood accused of poaching his manager and the chairman had no qualms about suggesting that I would wear a short skirt and no knickers to influence them.
At the time I thought it was a cheap shot.
And one made only because I was a woman.
It couldn’t possibly be my brain that would convince a panel . . . only my crotch!
Olivia’s cold front
THEY say that revenge is a dish best served cold.
It certainly seemed that way when actress Olivia Wilde was served child custody papers midway through a presentation – on behalf of ex-fiancé Jason Sudeikis.
Olivia just happened to be talking about the upcoming movie that sparked her romance with current boyfriend Harry Styles when she was given the ominous brown envelope.
Discussing the film, Don’t Worry Darling, in front of a Las Vegas crowd of 4,000, Olivia’s face showed only the briefest flicker of emotion on receiving the paperwork.
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Thinking it might be a script, Olivia initially asked: “This is for me? Very mysterious.”
It seems revenge can also be served frozen.