Wife of porn-probe MP Neil Parish says allegations against her husband are ‘very embarrassing’

The wife of porn probe MP Neil Parish has told an interviewer that the allegations against her husband are ‘very embarrassing’.

Mr Parish’s wife of 40 years Susan said she was completely unaware of her husband having done such things in the past.

She said: ‘It was all very embarrassing. My breath was taken away, frankly.

‘People shouldn’t be looking at pornography. He would never just sit there with people looking. He would never just do that knowing [people were looking].

‘These ladies were quite right to be as [upset] as they were. I’ve just no idea what happens in these circumstances. I don’t know whether it’s ever happened before,’ she told The Times.

Mrs Parish described her husband as a good person and MP, and insisted the drama was ‘so stupid’.

This afternoon, a visibly upset Mr Parish spoke to reporters outside his home and said he’d been unable to speak to his wife immediately after referring himself to the standards watchdog.

He said: ‘I’d just been to a surgery in Honiton and this is God’s own truth, the mobile phone was completely flat – I had to come back on the M5 otherwise I would have spoken to her sooner.’

When asked if he understood why people were upset, Mr Parish said: ‘Of course I do and I apologise for that. But I will still await the findings of the inquiry.’

The Tiverton and Honiton MP told GB News this week that Westminster could be ‘intense’ and ‘you are going to get people that step over the line’ when asked about the latest sleaze scandal to rock Westminster.

Under-fire Tory MP Neil Parish with his wife of 40 years Susan, who has described the allegations against him as ‘very embarrassing’

Susan Parish, pictured with her husband Neil Parish – the Tory MP who stands accused of watching porn in the House of Commons chamber while female colleagues sat closely by

Mr Parish gave a statement to press outside his home in which he explained that he had the Conservative whip suspended as the allegations are investigated

The 65-year-old had the party whip suspended this afternoon after finally being identified as the man allegedly spotted browsing smut by Tory women, following days of fevered speculation.

Mr Parish, who has been an MP since 2010 and is chair of the cross-party Environment Committee, has referred himself to the standards watchdog over allegations that he had been seen watching adult material in the House by two female colleagues.

Appearing on GB News earlier this week, Mr Parish himself said the claims had to be dealt with ‘seriously’ and backed Tory whips to conduct a ‘thorough investigation’.

He then added: ‘If you’ve got sort of 650 members of parliament in what is a very intense area, you are going to get people that step over the line…

‘I don’t think there’s necessarily a huge culture (of misogyny) here but I think it does have to be dealt with and dealt with seriously. That’s what the whips will do.’

This evening he was facing renewed calls to quit from opposition parties. But in a statement tonight he vowed to continue working as an MP.

Writing on his website, he said: ‘I will be cooperating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton.’