Read more
British ruling party MP ‘watched porn in parliament
The claims came as at least 56 MPs, including three ministers, are probed over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Union Flag also known as the Union Jack is pictured flying from the Jackstaff onboard a Royal Navy warship. When the first flag representing Britain was introduced on the proclamation of King James I in 1606, it became known simply as “the British flag” or “the flag of Britain”. The royal proclamation gave no distinctive name to the new flag. The word “jack” was in use before 1600 to describe the maritime bow flag. By 1627 a small Union Jack was commonly flown in this position. One theory goes that for some years it would have been called just “the Jack”, or “Jack flag”, or “the King’s Jack”, but by 1674, while formally referred to as “His Majesty’s Jack”, it was commonly called the Union Jack, and this was officially acknowledged.
Britain’s ruling Conservative party said on Wednesday that it is investigating claims one of its MPs watched pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons chamber.
The allegation came as at least 56 MPs, including three ministers, are probed over allegations of sexual misconduct by parliament’s own complaints office.
The Conservative party has been accused of misogyny after the Mail on Sunday last week quoted unnamed Tory MPs accusing the deputy leader of the opposition Labour party, Angela Rayner, of trying to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnson with her legs.
British media reported that the porn claim was first made during a meeting of up to 50 Conservative lawmakers on Tuesday night.
ALSO READ: Brexit bureaucracy leaves British beetroot rotting
“The chief whip is looking into this matter,” a statement from the Conservative whips’ office, which is in charge of party discipline, said on Wednesday.
“This behaviour is wholly unacceptable and action will be taken.”
It was not clear whether the guilty MP was a minister or a backbencher.
Johnson was asked about the alleged sexual misconduct in parliament and said any minister found guilty would lose their job.
“Of course, sexual harassment is intolerable,” he said.
“It’s quite right that members should now have a procedure by which they can bring that to the attention of the highest authorities and I think that’s a good thing.
“And of course it’s grounds for dismissal.”
Johnson’s press secretary insisted that the Conservative party does not have a problem with sexism.
“You will have heard the PM address this explicitly in parliament today and over the last few days, saying there is absolutely no place for such behaviour and this cannot be tolerated in any workplace,” she told journalists.
ALSO READ: British Airways tail scrape: How it happens, and why it could have been deadly
