BRIDGWATER-BORN Neil Parish will resign as a Member of Parliament after he admitted to twice watching pornography in the House of Commons. 

Mr Parish, who represents the Tiverton and Honiton constituency in Devon and chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, said he first accidentally viewed it after looking at tractors online. 

The 65-year-old, who is a farmer by trade, said the second time was while sitting waiting to vote on the side of the Commons chamber in a “moment of madness”.

He had vowed to continue as the MP for Tiverton and Honiton after it was revealed he was the politician seen watching porn by two Conservative colleagues but today confirmed that he will resign. 

Mr Parish, who who is believed to own a house in East Huntspill, was suspended by the Conservative Party over the allegations yesterday. 

In an interview with BBC South West, he said he recognised the “furore” and “damage” he was causing his family and his constituency before deciding “it just wasn’t worth carrying on”.

Mr Parish said: “The situation was, funnily enough it was tractors I was looking at, so I did get into another website with sort of a very similar name and I watched it for a bit, which I shouldn’t have done.

“My crime - my biggest crime - is that on another occasion I went in a second time, and that was deliberate.

“That was sitting waiting to vote on the side of the chamber.”

He said it was a “moment of madness”, which he accepted was “totally wrong”.

He insisted he was “not making sure people could see it” and was trying to be discreet.

“I was wrong what I was doing, but this idea that I was there watching it, intimidating women, I mean, I have 12 years in Parliament and probably got one of the best reputations ever – or did have.

“I make a full apology. A total full apology. It was not my intention to intimidate.”

When asked why he chose to view the material in the Commons, he said: “I don’t know, I think I must’ve taken complete leave of my senses and my sensibilities and my sense of decency, everything.”