Claim that Tory MP was watching PORN in the Commons will be investigated by Parliament’s independent complaints body, chief whip says
- The allegation made by female MP who said she was sat next to him at the time
- Came at a meeting of female MPs to discuss sexist culture in Parliament
- Chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris has called in independent complaints body
The Conservative Party’s chief whip has ordered an official investigation into claims that an MP was watching porn on his mobile phone in the House of Commons Chamber.
A spokesman said the matter would be referred to Parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS).
‘Following allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the House of Commons the Chief Whip has asked that this matter be referred to the ICGS.
‘Upon the conclusion of any ICGS investigation the Chief Whip will take appropriate action.’
Those reported to the body are given automatic anonymity, meaning the Tory MP’s name will not be published while he is under investigation.
Only witnesses are able to make complaints to the scheme.
The body is said to be investigating at least 56 MPs – including three ministers and two shadow ministers – who have been accused of sexual misconduct.
Two female MPs say they witnessed their colleague looking at adult images more than once.
A statement from the Conservative whips office said: ‘The chief whip (Chris Heaton-Harris, left) is looking into this matter.’
Tory MP Pauline Latham MP demanded the man responsible resign, telling GB News: ‘They should go. That will mean their ministerial career is absolutely shot and their parliamentary career probably.’
Chris Heaton-Harris, the Tory chief whip, launched an investigation into the ‘wholly unacceptable’ allegations, with his team vowing to take action. Furious female Tory MPs have demanded that their male colleague quit.
The claims about the MP, who has not been named and is not believed to be a minister, were aired during a meeting of backbench Tories. One female MP told the meeting on Tuesday they had sat behind the man on the Commons benches and seen him look at porn on his phone.
Another said she had seen the same MP looking at porn both in the chamber and in a committee hearing room.
Tuesday’s meeting is understood to have been attended by between 40 and 50 Tory MPs, including Mr Heaton-Harris, party co-chairman Oliver Dowden and Commons leader Mark Spencer.
Theresa May attended the meeting but was understood not to have been present when the porn allegations were made.
One attendee said: ‘We were having a discussion about being a woman in politics, particularly a woman in the governing party. Then a colleague dropped this bombshell. They said they had seen a male Tory MP watching porn on his phone a few weeks ago.
‘They said they were sat in the rows behind him. Then another colleague said that they had seen the same person watching porn in the chamber and at a committee hearing. It wasn’t what any of us were expecting.
‘It certainly wasn’t what the chief whip was expecting. The chief was shocked and concerned. He said he wanted to speak to the MP who had watched the porn. He said he would be investigating.’
The Tory MP added of the claims: ‘This shows a basic contempt and disrespect for parliament – and your colleagues.’
Another female MP said at the meeting that when she wore a leather skirt she was asked: ‘What do you do for your day job?’
A second said a whip ushered MPs into a voting lobby recently by saying ‘Come on, girls!’
An MP was said to be left in tears by the allegations, according to one report, though others in the room could not verify this. The committee – known as ‘the 2022’ – is a forum for Tory backbenchers to discuss ideas and policy.
The MP was said to have been watching pornography while sat in the Commons alongside colleagues
MPs’ string of previous pornography woes
Today’s revelation is not the first time MPs have got into trouble over their porn-watching habits.
In December 2017 Damian Green was sacked as de facto deputy prime minister for lying about claims that police found pornography on a computer in his office a decade earlier.
The first secretary of state denied viewing inappropriate material on the computer, but a Cabinet Office investigation found Mr Green had issued two ‘inaccurate and misleading’ statements about the 2008 discovery.
In 2014 Conservative MP Karl McCartney denied ‘favouriting’ an explicit image on Twitter after a photo of a naked woman tied to a bed appeared on his account.
The Lincoln MP insisted he had never made use of the ‘favourite’ button on the cult website – used to endorse messages sent by other people.
It came after the ‘graphic’ image showed up on his Twitter account, sparking ridicule online.
Mr McCartney, who is married with two children, removed the image along with ’50 other random tweets’ that had been favourited on his Twitter feed.
Mr McCartney said he was concerned that the site could be exploited by ‘malicious and salacious attempts to embarrass the account holder’ as the general election approaches.
In 2009, then Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith resigned after she claimed two porn films on expenses.
Her husband, Richard Timney, had to make a public apology after admitting he had ordered them. She lost her Redditch seat in the 2010 election and later said the attention she got was ‘over the top’.
Tory MP Pauline Latham demanded the man responsible resign, telling GB News: ‘They should go. That will mean their ministerial career is absolutely shot and their parliamentary career probably. It’s just not excusable in any way. It’s totally shocking.’
The MP for Mid Derbyshire called for a culture change, adding: ‘There’s no place for it in any workplace. In parliament, we are supposed to be leaders, and we should be setting a really good example.’
Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns told BBC Politics Live: ‘I’m not going to even attempt to defend it. If the facts are established then action should be taken decisively.’
Asked about the claim, Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith told the same programme it was hard to even get a signal in the chamber, adding: ‘It’s unacceptable in any workplace really.
‘I don’t think it’s necessarily unique to the House of Commons. If someone has done that then quite rightly I would expect there to be consequences.’
Last night a spokesman for the Conservative chief whip said the matter would be referred to parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme.
The porn claims came amid reports that 56 MPs, including three Cabinet ministers, are facing allegations of sexual misconduct that are also being referred to the complaints scheme.
The Prime Minister’s press secretary said: ‘You will have heard the PM address this explicitly in parliament today and over the last few days, saying there is absolutely no place for such behaviour and this cannot be tolerated.’
Asked whether watching pornography at work was a sackable offence, she said: ‘I am not aware of the disciplinary action. Obviously, it is wholly unacceptable behaviour and it is being looked into.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded the MP alleged to have watched porn is kicked out.
In December 2017 Damian Green was sacked as de facto deputy prime minister for lying about claims that police found pornography on a computer in his office.
Furious female Tory MPs demanded a male colleague quit today after he was accused of brazenly watching pornography on his phone while in the Commons.
Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns told BBC Politics Live the behaviour was ‘wrong’. ‘I’m not going to even attempt to defend it. If the facts are established then action should be taken decisively,’ he said
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