Neil Parish: Ex-porn congressman confiscated gun by police ‘in case I shoot myself’ | Political news

Former MP Neil Parish revealed police had “kindly” confiscated his handgun to prevent him from shooting himself after being caught watching porn in the House of Commons.

66 year old farmer admitted in a candid interview that he “didn’t feel in the best place” for having “blown away” his 12-year congressional career.

He also claimed he was “dumped to death” by Tory frontman Chris-Heaton Harris in the wake of the scandal, which broke amid allegations perversion and sexual misconduct at Westminster.

Mr Parish to leave Parliament in May after he admitted to viewing adult material twice on his phone in parliament, was discovered by two Tory female MPs.

He said the first time was by chance when he found the tractor online, but the second time was “a moment of madness”.

Speaking to LBC of his experience after the controversy, Mr Parish said: “Have you had three days the paparazzi outside your house screaming abuse at you?

“It’s enough to scare anyone, and I’m not easily scared.”

He continued: “I’ve had a few death threats and you’ve got all these cameras outside your house. And David Amess… you know, I’ve got an office away from him. three doors.

“I’m not going to put my wife through this. I’ve spent all three days trying to make sure they don’t see the whole house of cameras. I think for the most part I’ve succeeded in that.

“It’s not easy. And when you go to the chief whip and ask for help, you expect it. You get thrown overboard, and then you drown.

“That’s how it works and well, but I’ve seen (former CEO) Mark Spencer on the podcast, Telegraph podcast, say how much they all care. I need to record, they don’t.”

“The idea that they’re all there taking care of us is pointless.”

Mr Parish told LBC: “The police took them away in a very nice and proper way – because I am a farmer, you see – I had pistols, so they took them away from me.

“Because when you’ve blasted your congressional career for 12 years you don’t feel in the best place, and they took it away for my own safety, not that I’m going to shoot anybody else, in case I shoot myself.

“I told them in a moment of dark humor, ‘I’m a very bad shooter, I’ll probably miss’, but naturally, they didn’t see the joke at the time, or it didn’t either. is not very funny. “

In the interview, Mr. Parish insisted that what he did was “immoral” but “not illegal”.

When asked if he was “made up” by some of his colleagues, he replied: “I think maybe I am.”

“Now, I was wrong to see it: it’s very immoral, it’s not illegal, it’s immoral, and I shouldn’t have done it.

“I was right in the corner of the House of Commons when you go into the hallway to vote, so this idea that I think people have assumed I was right in the middle of the House to flaunt it is completely wrong.

“I’m not proud of what I’m doing and I did it very wrong.

“I asked to be able to apologize if I caused offense, I was not given that opportunity by the chief whip and I was thrown to the press wolves.”

His departure from parliament triggered a by-election to the one-time Tory safe seats in Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, introduced on Thursday by the Liberal Democrats, overthrew the Conservative majority out of more than 24,000,

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Mr Parish argues Boris Johnson bear part of the responsibility for the humiliating loss..

He said: “I think now he’s playing a very dangerous game, he really is.

“He has to face the reality, that, yes, I caused the by-election, but I didn’t lose the by-election.

“It’s a safe seat. It should have been downsized from normal times, and we’ll be back (Conservative candidate) Helen Hurford quite comfortably, but the point is, naturally. , it’s a referendum on the prime minister, and he has to bear some responsibility.”

Anyone feeling emotional distress or wanting to commit suicide can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK