Senior Conservative MP Caroline Nokes has accused the party of “unnecessary dither and delay” in taking action against Neil Parish, in light of allegations that he watched pornography in the House of Commons. Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities committee, also said it would be “difficult” for Parish to spend the required time in parliament as a select committee chair while under investigation. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme,she said: “I felt by leaving it until Friday before we knew that action had been taken by the whips that it felt like unnecessary dither and delay.” She continued that although she was not calling for Paris to stand down immediately from his role, it was “right those investigations are carried out before any further action is taken”. Whether Parish should continue as the chair of the environment select committee, Nokes added that was a “matter for Neil to discuss with the party whips and to take a position on, but I think whilst he’s under investigation it’s going to make it very difficult for him to be in the Commons as much as he needs to be”. Parish, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, had the whip suspended after becoming the fourth MP from his party since the last election to face claims of impropriety. He revealed he had referred himself to the standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, on Friday afternoon after senior Tory women expressed outrage at the party for failing to act on complaints made earlier this week despite being aware of his identity.
Parish has suggested that he may have opened the pornography accidentally, but has rejected calls to stand down as an MP immediately. The safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean has held her position that Parish should be removed from the party if he is found guilty of the allegations. Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Maclean said: “Clearly if this is substantiated and those allegations turn out to be true, of course I stand by what I said, but at the same time there is now an investigation so it wouldn’t be helpful for me to speculate on the specific outcomes. “This type of behaviour has no place in any workplace let alone parliament, but I think everybody would accept that when there’s an allegation that’s made … it isn’t really for us, as colleagues, to sit on judgment in another colleague, it is for that process to take place.” Maclean added that she has “absolutely every confidence in the chief whip”. “He’s acting incredibly quickly, I don’t see why the investigation can’t be concluded very quickly and I’m certain that appropriate action will then follow from that,” she said.
Parish, a 65-year-old farmer, said he would resign if found guilty by Stone, who is yet to say whether she will open an investigation. Separately, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which looks into claims of bullying and sexual harassment, is understood to have begun examining events after at least one witness made a referral. Parish said in a statement on his website he “will be cooperating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties”.