Tory Neil Parish has this afternoon confirmed that he will resign as an MP after admitting to twice watching pornography in Parliament.
The 65-year-old select committee chair, who is a farmer by trade, said he first accidentally viewed the x-rated video after looking at tractors online.
Mr Parish struggled to hold back tears as told how in a ‘moment of madness’ he then deliberately watched the x-rated video a second time while he was sitting waiting to vote on the side of the Commons chamber.
The married father-of-two had previously vowed to continue as the MP for Tiverton and Honiton after it was revealed he was the politician seen watching porn by two Conservative colleagues, but finally bowed to pressure to resign this afternoon.
He said in an interview with BBC South West that he recognised the ‘furore’ and ‘damage’ he was causing his family and his constituency in Devon before deciding ‘it just wasn’t worth carrying on’.
‘The situation was, funnily enough it was tractors I was looking at, so I did get into another website with sort of a very similar name and I watched it for a bit, which I shouldn’t have done,’ Mr Parish said.
‘My crime, my most biggest crime, is that on another occasion I went in a second time, and that was deliberate.
‘I was wrong what I was doing, but this idea that I was there watching it, intimidating women, I mean I have 12 years in Parliament and probably got one of the best reputations ever – or did have.’
When pressed on why he chose to view the material in the Commons, he said: ‘I don’t know, I think I must’ve taken complete leave of my senses and my sensibilities and my sense of decency, everything.’
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