‘Tractors to porn actors’: Angela Rayner mocks Tory MP’s claim he was looking at farm vehicle website

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said Neil Parish must think we “were all born yesterday” as the Tory MP resigned after he admitted to watching porn in Parliament.

She reacted on Twitter on Saturday afternoon in disbelief that the 65-year-old MP for Tiverton and Honiton had said he was looking at tractors but ended up looking at pornography.

“He was looking for tractors but ended up with porn actors?” she posted.

“Neil Parish must think you were all born yesterday. Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are a national embarrassment.”

Labour MP Chris Bryant followed up saying Mr Parish had done the “right thing” by resigning.

Speaking on LBC radio, he said: “I thought it would come to this sooner rather than later.

“I have heard some people say, people should have reported this sooner. The truth is he should not have been doing it.

“It does expose a couple of things I think we may need to change in the system in parliament.

“It seems stupid: why should you have to have a rule saying you can’t look at pornography in the chamber of the Houses of Common? You would think that was pretty basic.

“Maybe we ought to have a rule about gross misconduct, which is more parallel to what people would have in their ordinary line of work.”

Neil Parish resigned as a Tory MP on Saturday after admitting to twice watching pornography in Parliament (Photo: Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA Wire)

Thangam Debbonaire, Labour’s shadow leader of the House of Commons, said: “This is the right decision, the people of Tiverton and Honiton deserve better than Neil Parish’s disgusting behaviour.

“But it’s shocking that the Conservatives have allowed this debacle to drag out over many days.”

Nicola Sturgeon said the resignation of Mr Parish should be a moment for society to say “enough is enough” when it comes to misogyny.

The First Minister said: “I don’t think there could really be any other outcome to what has come to light about this particular MP over the last few days.

“Watching porn on a mobile phone in the House of Commons when you’re there representing constituents is just unacceptable.”

She said sexism and misogyny were a “societal problem” which now needed to change.

Ms Sturgeon added: “So this is a moment I think to really say ‘enough is enough’. Not all men are misogynists, but all women do experience misogyny.

“And misogyny is by and large about male behaviour. So men have to change, and I hope this is a moment where they really think about that carefully and seriously.”

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Mr Parish resigned as an MP after admitting to twice watching pornography in Parliament, saying he first accidentally viewed it after looking at tractors online before then acting deliberately.

The select committee chair, who is a farmer by trade, said the second time was while sitting waiting to vote on the side of the Commons chamber in a “moment of madness”.