A British parliamentarian was watching porn on his mobile phone in the House of Commons while sitting alongside a female minister.
According to the UK Mirror, the shocked female minister told colleagues about the porn incident at a highly-charged meeting of Tory MPs at Westminster April 26.
Three sources said that around a dozen women MPs at the meeting shared accounts of alleged sexism and harassment by their colleagues.
The meeting of between 40 and 50 Tory MPs, known as the 2022 group, was attended by new chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris, Tory party chair Oliver Dowden and Commons leader Mark Spencer.
Several female MPs raised concerns that the toxic atmosphere within the party could put women off standing for Parliament.
“It was like a blood-letting. Everybody was sharing awful stories of what had happened to them in the Commons at the hands of male MPs,” one said.
“[The chief whip] clearly hadn’t been expecting it and looked knocked for six. But the big question is what happens next”.
“They were genuinely shocked and horrified. They must realise that there are serious issues they need to address,” another said.
No fewer than 56MPs, including three Cabinet ministers, are facing allegations of sexual misconduct after being reported to Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance scheme