A British MP from the ruling Conservative Party has resigned after admitting to watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons. Neil Paris, a Member of Parliament since 2010, announced his decision on Saturday following pressure from members of his party to try to defuse allegations ahead of the May 5 local elections in the United Kingdom. The ballot is considered pivotal for Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is already facing a backlash from voters for parties breaking the lockdown in government offices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paris, 65, resigned after what she described as a moment of “madness”. Parish, chairman of the house’s Environment, Food and Agriculture Committee, said he was trying to find a tractor site but stumbled upon a porn site with a similar name and watched it for a while. “I think I must have completely abandoned my senses and my sensibilities and with a sense of decency, everything,” he told the BBC. “[It was] a moment of madness and also completely wrong. I’m not going to defend it. “My biggest crime is that in another case I came in a second time and that was intentional.” Reports that a lawmaker had watched pornography between the historic green benches of the House of Commons sparked a flurry of complaints from women in Parliament about the half-heartedness and sexual harassment they faced while doing their job. Known for a long time for its cunning, macho culture, Parliament is now a more diverse place with women holding almost 40 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons. However, lawmakers and staff say harassment and misconduct remain uncontrollable under a system that largely allows members to be policed. Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Parish’s resignation should be a moment for people across the UK to say “enough is enough”. “I do not think there could really be any other effect on what has come to light for this particular MP in recent days,” he said. “Watching porn on a mobile phone in the House of Commons when representing voters is simply unacceptable.” Paris rejected the idea that he wanted to intimidate anyone. “For all my rights and my mistakes, I was not proud of what I did,” he said. “And the only thing I did not do, and which I will take to my grave as true, is that I did not really see people seeing it. In fact, I was trying to do the exact opposite. “ The scandal comes at a precarious time for Johnson, who will face pressure to resign if the Conservatives do poorly in the local election.
