Boris Johnson slams ‘totally unacceptable’ behaviour of Tory MP seen watching PORN in the Commons

Boris Johnson lashed out at one of his own MPs accused of watching pornography in the House of Commons today, hinting he faces being kicked out of the Conservative Party. 

The Prime Minister said the behaviour alleged by several female MPs was ‘totally unacceptable’ as he made a campaign visit to Burnley.

Cabinet members said the culprit should be stripped of the whip or even kicked out of the House if they the allegations are proven. 

But former minister Caroline Nokes has accused the chief whip of kicking the issue ‘into the long grass’, and said the whip should have been suspended already. 

Speaking to reporters in Lancashire, Mr Johnson was asked whether the parliamentarian would lose the Conservative whip if the allegations are proven.

‘I think it’s obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace,’ he said.

‘It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let’s be absolutely clear about that.

‘What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts, but, yeah, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.’

It came as the sleaze issue crossed the aisle, with a Labour frontbencher accused of telling one of his party’s female MPs they were a ‘secret weapon’ because men wanted to sleep with them.

The female politician – who wants to remain anonymous – was allegedly subjected to the lewd remark at an event in Westminster.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also urged MPs to stay out of Parliament’s ‘poisonous’ drinking dens amid growing uproar at sexism and sleaze at Westminster.

Mr Wallace said the long hours and access to alcohol had been a problem for many years, and his advice to colleagues was ‘finish your day’s work and go home’.

Speaking to reporters at a college in Lancashire, Mr Johnson was asked whether the parliamentarian would lose the Conservative whip if the allegations are proven. ‘I think it’s obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace,’ he said.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the long hours and access to alcohol had been a problem for many years, and his advice to colleagues was ‘finish your day’s work and go home’

Mr Wallace pointed to the handful of exclusive bars on the Parliamentary estate, where drinks are much cheaper than outside, with a pint of beer costing around £3.60. File picture of Strangers Bar in the Common

In the latest grim claims, a woman MP told BBC Wales that when someone praised her as a ‘rising star’ of her party at an event, the unnamed shadow cabinet minister intervened. 

They apparently said she was a ‘secret weapon’ because ‘women want to be her friend’ and men wanted to sleep with her.

‘She is a vote winner,’ they reportedly added.

Keir Starmer said: ‘I’m deeply concerned to hear these suggestions and these allegations.

‘There is a complaints procedure and I want everybody to have the confidence to use that complaints procedure because I would want to get to the bottom of this and do something about it.’

A Labour spokeswoman said: ‘The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously.   

‘They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.’

It is understood that no complaint has been received, and BBC Wales said the woman did not want to be identified for fear of consequences. 

Labour has recently introduced a new independent complaints procedure to boost confidence, and is encouraging people to come forward.

In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Wallace said ‘there’s no place for pornography in any workplace’ and said there needs to be a cultural change in Westminster.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I certainly think they should lose the whip.’

He pointed to the handful of exclusive bars on the Parliamentary estate, where drinks are much cheaper than outside, with a pint of beer costing around £3.60.

Mr Wallace told Times Radio that there were ‘fights’, ‘sexist comments’ and ‘propositions’ in the bars. 

‘What I have witnessed is, what I think is the fundamental problem of Westminster, is the overall culture is that hundreds and hundreds of people (are) working long hours in a place with bars,’ he said.

‘And for some people, under lots of pressure for all sorts of reasons. And that… mix becomes poisonous.’ 

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Mr Wallace said the problems had been ‘going on for decades’ and were ‘not easy to fix’. 

‘I mean, my advice to any MP is actually avoid the bars, you know, finish a day’s work and go home. 

‘But you know, that is part of the ultimate challenge around parliament that I think needs to be fixed. 

‘And you know, in the Armed Forces, I have a similar challenge, which is often in those high pressure environments where people mix and then alcohol is consumed, you end up in a place where people do things, either they regret, or things that is totally unacceptable.’ 

The Defence Secretary told Sky News: ‘There is a range of allegations that go right across the House, go right across the parties.

‘This is a problem, I think, about the overall culture of the House of Commons.

‘It is late sitting, long nights with bars, and that very often leads, and it has done for decades, to behavioural challenges…

‘I think it’s really important that we think about ways to change the culture in the House of Commons.’

Attorney General Suella Braverman told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour that if the allegation of an MP watching porn in Parliament is proven there should be a ‘severe reprimand’ including an opportunity to oust them from the Commons.

‘I’m shocked and appalled… what would possess them? It is totally unacceptable,’ she said.

‘I am very glad that the chief whip has now referred it to the independent complaints and grievance process.’

Ms Braverman went on: ‘I think we would really need to see a situation where the whip would be removed. I am ashamed that this person is carrying the Conservative rosette.

‘I think they really do need to be subject to a recall, and no longer holding their privileged position as a member of parliament.’

Ms Braverman said while all the men she had worked with were ‘respectful’ there were MPs who behaved like ‘animals’. 

‘There is however, a very small minority of men – and it is men – who fall short, and there are some bad apples who are out of order, who behave like animals and are bringing parliament into disrepute to be honest,’ she said.

‘I don’t think we should be saying there is a pervasive culture. That is not my experience. There are certain individuals who are behaving in an unacceptable way.’  

The Conservative Party‘s chief whip has ordered an official investigation into claims that an MP was watching porn on his mobile phone in the House of Commons Chamber.

A spokesman said the matter would be referred to Parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS).

Mr Wallace told Times Radio that there were ‘fights’, ‘sexist comments’ and ‘propositions’ in the Parliamentary bars

‘Following allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the House of Commons the Chief Whip has asked that this matter be referred to the ICGS.

‘Upon the conclusion of any ICGS investigation the Chief Whip will take appropriate action.’ 

Ms Nokes told PoliticsHome the referral amounted to ‘kicking it into the long grass’ and it would be ‘months before anything is done’.

‘It’s not shouldering the burden of responsibility of dealing with it, and I think the Chiefs should have dealt with it immediately,’ she said. 

Sir Keir said the Conservative Party should ‘take action now’ against the MP.

He said: ‘I think it’s very good that we’ve got an independent system and obviously that requires anonymity.

‘This is an unusual case because the Tory Party knows who this individual is.

‘I think that they should deal with it and deal with it sooner rather than later and take appropriate action.

‘So, nothing wrong with the independent process, but I think the Tory Party, they know who this is, they should take action now.’

Those reported to the body are given automatic anonymity, meaning the Tory MP’s name will not be published while he is under investigation.

Only witnesses are able to make complaints to the scheme.

The body is said to be investigating at least 56 MPs – including three ministers and two shadow ministers – who have been accused of sexual misconduct.

Two female MPs say they witnessed their colleague looking at adult images more than once.