Tory MP Neil Parish got kicked out of the British Parliament for watching porn on his telephone while attending Parliament. However, in my mind, that is not all of the story.
The House of Commons is rather like the House of Representatives in the United States; the House of Lords was once somewhat like the US Senate, but the US Senate is now an embarrassment unlike anything anywhere. In any case, the decorum that the British practice is somewhat laissez faire. Clapping is not allowed, but shouting is, although it often includes high and lofty terms like vainglorious. However, this does not change the fact that the House of Commons is sometimes reminiscent of a barroom brawl.
The video in the link below isn’t the most outrageous example, but you get the idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PVkR8jUSVM
If you ever watch C-SPAN, you are aware of the US Congress’s style, or lack thereof. I especially laugh when I catch C-SPAN while channel surfing. You can see politicians making speeches in the late afternoon to an almost empty chamber. I guess it proves that politicians talk to just hear themselves speak.
In any case, I would guess that many members of parliament are looking at their phones, playing games, or whatever. Parish got caught looking at porn. However, given the choice between watching the antics of his fellow politicians or watching porn, some may consider it a tough choice. Parish just forgot the 11th commandment-“Thou shalt not get caught.”
If you’d like to see a brief explanation of the British Parliament click this link. It’s only about 10 minutes, but very interesting.
sfnowak 