The MP accused of watching pornography in the Commons is Conservative Neil Parish, the chief whip has told Sky News.
A spokesman for the chief whip said: “Having spoken to the chief whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Standards Committee of the House of Commons.
“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative Whip pending the outcome of that investigation.”
Two female Conservative MPs made the allegation against Mr Parish during a meeting of women Tory backbench MPs on Tuesday evening, but the whips office has not publicly named him.
The women told Tory chief whip, Chris Heaton-Harris, they had witnessed the MP watching porn on his phone in the Commons chamber and in a committee meeting.
One MP at the meeting said Mr Heaton-Harris looked “horrified” and asked for the man’s identity.
Around 50 to 60 female Tory MPs are said to have been present at the meeting.
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A farmer by trade, Neil Parish has been the MP for Tiverton and Honiton since 2010. Before that, he was an MEP.
A father of two and grandfather of two, he still lives on the family farm, according to his official website.
At the last election, he held a healthy majority of 24,239, securing 60% of the vote.
Throughout his time in politics, his focus has “always been standing up for residents and being a strong voice for the countryside”, his biography states.
He is the current chair of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and as such also sits on the powerful Liaison Committee.
On Thursday, Boris Johnson addressed the allegation for the first time, saying: “It’s obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace.
“It would be the same for any job up and down the country.
“Clearly that kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable.”
