I have known a lot of journalists & most are in the job to get good money for reporting these kind of stories.
If this man was using his government phone then it should be up to party leader to take action , not the national press.
It was not the National press who âtook actionâ - the press did not uncover this story - it was other Tory members who complained - we can blame the the press for a lot of intrusive reporting and underhand tactics but, in this case, it seems to me they were just reporting what happened.
An official inquiry was launched after Neil Parish referred himself for investigation, so he himself âtook actionâ
This was after two female colleagues of his own party complained after claiming to have seen him looking at âadult contentâ while sitting near them - so they âtook actionâ
Initially, Parish refused to resign as an MP or as head of the environment select committee until the inquiry was concluded.
It was the Parliamentâs Standards Commissioner who âtook actionâ and suspended Mr Parish from the Conservative parliamentary party, pending the outcome of the investigation.
If it was found that he had violated the code of conduct for MPs, possible punishments range from apologising to the Commons to suspension or expulsion would have followed.
Instead, Neil Parish âtook actionâ before the inquiry he had instigated and resigned.
Maybe he had second thoughts after reflecting on his position and accepting that his actions had breached the âRules of Behaviourâ in the House of Commons.
https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/rules-of-behaviour.pdf
- The House has agreed to the use in the Chamber
of hand-held electronic devices provided that they cause no disturbance and are not used in such a way as to impair decorum. Their use should be confined to enabling your participation in debate. You may use electronic devices in place of paper notes in debate and may consult them when you are not speaking, but they must not distract you or others from the debate going on or make it look as if you are not listening. All such devices must be in silent mode and the taking of telephone calls or listening to voicemails in the Chamber is prohibited.
He has acknowledged that he had deliberately accessed a porn site whilst in the House of Commons and, although it was not during a debate but while he was waiting to vote, it could be said he was using his mobile device in the House âin such a way as to impair decorum.â
One shouldnât shoot the messenger just because you donât like the news he brings.
And, of course, this manâs âemployersâ are all of us - we are paying his wages, so he is not only answerable to his party leader but to the people who elect him and the people who pay his wages.
Another Tory breaks the rules - presumably their upbringing leads them to believe that ârules arenât for usâ âŠ
Mr Slade told The Telegraph he âcould seeâ how the search might have led to inappropriate content, arguing: âI have never had any concerns about his behaviour and I regard Neil as totally truthful.â
Mr Sladeâs suggestion has not yet been confirmed by Mr Parish, though the former Tory MP did say he was looking at tractors when he stumbled upon adult content.
Itâs possible âŠ
Nevertheless, unless Parish was searching for material relevant to the ongoing debate, he was still breaking the rules:
Their use should be confined to enabling your participation in debate.
Iâm not condoning the bloke, and using the works computer network would be serious, but wasnât the MP on his phone? In which case he would be using the porn site through his own provider.
The reason I mentioned the security aspect is that the report of the incident did not specify whether the MP was using his work mobile phone, which is provided by the government, or a separate personal mobile phone.
Nor did it state whether he was connected to his own personal mobile provider when accessing the Internet porn sites or whether his phone was connected to the Parliamentary Estateâs WiFi.
It does raise a question, OGF, about mobiles in the HOC.
I note that some of my off springs (now in their 50s) have two mobile phones.
One is their private one & the other is the office one, being the one which is security checked and managed by their bosses.
The way security seems to work, anyone thought to be using a mobile, whilst driving a car, could see their mobile taken away and searched to see who was saying what & when, plus where theyâve been.
Needs a bit of thought.
Yes Ted, Iâm sure that if the perpetrator was using the government provided wifi link it could easily be checked out.
I was a very naught girl when I worked , sometimes the days were quiet in the office and I would use my work computer to play
PATIENCE
Luckily i didnt get caught!
I look at OFF when Iâm at work . Many sites are blocked but luckily not OFF
sâup wiâ thee gob Foxy haha
I, once, got told off for riding on a local roundabout whilst I should have been working.
The Company gave me a Funfair Dismissal!
:groan: