Labor and some Tories asked to know why the whip was not removed by the anonymous MP, after he was recognized by two of his colleagues for watching porn on his phone. The Tories have proposed an independent complaint system to investigate the dispute, but only witnesses, not third parties, can trigger an inquiry into parliament. A senior Conservative MP told the Independent that “in any other workplace” anyone facing such a charge would be suspended, while another said the party should “fire him now”. The Independent Complaints and Appeals System (ICGS) is adhered to, but – in addition to requiring a witness to be present – it can take several months for an investigation to be completed. The Conservative Party declined to say whether the two women witnesses were satisfied with the ICGS conducting the investigation, following a meeting with leader Chris Heaton-Harris. Caroline Nokes, a former minister, protested that by asking parliamentary officials to investigate, instead of taking the same harsh measures, her party was “kicking it in the long grass”. A Tory MP said they expected the party to “understand it with both hands and immediately withdraw the whip from whoever it is”. A vice-president of the 1922 Tory Commission revealed that he would “work closely with the leader whip to really examine it”, questioning why the MP’s name remained secret. “Take a very, very big, hard look at yourself, look at your soul. And ask yourself, should I still be here? ” said Nickie Aiken on Times Radio. And Keir Starmer demanded to know why the Conservatives are delaying, when the MP’s identity is known in the party’s whipping office. “This is an unusual case because the Tories party knows who this person is,” the Labor leader said during a local election campaign in Kumbria. “I think they should deal with it and deal with it sooner rather than later and take the appropriate measures.” The Independent said some Conservative men questioned the seriousness of the crime, implying that the MP may have “opened an email by mistake and had porn in it”. However, one of the complainants, a minister, said it was not a quick incident and the man seemed to know he had seen it, however he continued to watch the porn. A second female Tory MP said she had also seen the man watch pornography. It is believed that he tried to film him as proof of what he did. Government sources said the man was a supporter and not a minister, acknowledging that his identity was known. Tuesday night’s meeting, in which the allegation emerged, was attended by some of the top women of the Conservative Party, including Theresa May and some current ministers. The Independent said that “the common view on the meeting is that this MP should be expelled from the party”. Pressure also came from within the government, including Attorney General Suella Braverman, as she warned a minority of men in politics “behave like animals”. “The whip must be removed,” if the case is proven, Ms Braverman said, adding: “I’m ashamed that this person is carrying the Conservative rosette. “I think they really need to be recalled and no longer hold this privileged position as a member of parliament.” Speaking to Burnley, Boris Johnson described the alleged behavior as “obviously unacceptable” – but insisted that a referral to the ICGS was the right thing to do. “What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures have to go through, the independent grievance process has to be activated and we need to understand the facts,” he said. The ICGS will also not confirm or deny if an investigation is launched because it “operates on the basis of absolute confidentiality”.
