The Conversation (0)
Politics
Sinead Butler
Jul 04, 2022
Neil Parish says wife chased after him around the kitchen with scissors ...
ITV/Lorraine
Ex-Tory MP Neil Parish who resigned over watching pornography in the House of Commons told ITV's Lorraine Kelly that he was "no angel" in an exclusive interview since the scandal.
The 66-year-old was formerly the MP for Tiverton and Honiton from 2010 until April this year after two female colleagues accused him of watching porn in the House of Commons which he later admitted to and resigned.
On Lorraine, Parish shared the reason why he watched the X-rated content at work was "because I was bored’.
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But there was one particular anecdote that viewers highlighted from the "car crash" interview they were surprised to hear about which involved his wife Susan and a pair of scissors.
"She [wife Susan] knows I'm no angel, she chases me around the kitchen with scissors saying 'snipper snap' knowing full well what part of my anatomy she is after. She knows what I'm like," Parish explained.
"OK..." Kelly could be heard saying in the middle of this.
\u201cIn an exclusive interview with #Lorraine, 'tractor-gate' MP Neil Parish explains his regrets and his wife reaction after being caught watching pornography in the House of Commons twice. \u2702\ufe0f \ud83d\ude33\u201d— Lorraine (@Lorraine) 1656925542
Of course, viewers couldn't help but react to the bizarre scene Parish described... and the entire interview in general.
\u201cNeil Parish on Lorraine. Another car crash interview! My wife chases me around the kitchen with scissors \u2026.. my wife knows what I\u2019m like. Eh?? Delusional.\u201d— Diane (@Diane) 1656926399
\u201c#lorraine Sorry what? Neil Parish on @GMB describing his wife chasing him round the kitchen with scissors to cut off his **** Lorraine moved swiftly on. Did I imagine this?\u201d— IamJill (@IamJill) 1656922787
\u201cThis Neil Parish interview... what is happening??????? I'm scared #Lorraine\u201d— Kayleigh Tanner \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Kayleigh Tanner \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1656922616
\u201c#Lorraine get Neil Parish off. He\u2019s embarrassing himself.\u201d— Sylvia Hopper (@Sylvia Hopper) 1656922524
\u201cDid Neil Parish really justified the fact he watched porn in parliament because he was bored #lorraine\u201d— Charlie J \ud83d\udd4a\ud83e\udeb7 (@Charlie J \ud83d\udd4a\ud83e\udeb7) 1656922463
The presenter then asked Parish about the "very awkward conversations" with his wife that would have occurred after this scandal emerged.
"She's been hugely supportive and came up with me all the 12 years I was in Parliament. Helped me in the office, helped keep me on time.
"She's done so much with me so naturally on the morning, I decided to resign it was her advice I took. Our children, our son and our daughter, both gave very sound advice, and in the end do you twist and turn, do you tell lots of fibs, or go. And I decided to go," he explained.
Kelly also questioned Parish on why he didn't come forward initially when the reports emerged, and if he was "trying to pretend it hadn't happened," to which Parish said: "I would freely admit that.
"But also, I was hoping I’d be able to sort it out, whether rightly or wrongly apologise. It would have never happened again, as you can imagine.
"So I’m not justifying it again and I was right to resign, but that was a key and that’s why I was hoping," he added.
As a result of Parish's resignation, a by-election took place in Tiverton and Honiton on June 23 where the Liberal Democrats won the seat, overturning a Conservative majority of over 24,000,
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