Shortlist of all women for “porn MP” by-elections would be “humiliating”

Shortlist of all women for the seat “Porn MP” Neil Parish the minister refused because it was “underestimating”.

Michelle Donelan, the Minister for Universities, said she would not support the idea, instead suggesting that women should become MPs only on the basis of merit.

It comes after Caroline Nakes, chair of the Committee on Women and Equality, said Tories must choose a woman to succeed Mr Parish in order to show “real evidence of change”.

Mr Parish, 65, then resigned on Saturday watching pornography in Parliament, triggered by-elections at his headquarters in Devon, Tiverton and Honiton.

“We are not doing this by introducing quotas that I find quite humiliating for women. Women can achieve this on merit,” Donelan told Sky News.

“We have seen this in the past in my own party – the first two prime ministers, when Labor has not even come close.

“We have the Minister of the Interior who is a woman, we have the Minister of Foreign Affairs who is a woman: these individuals came there on merit.”

Conservative sources told The Times that the local conservative association will decide if the candidate is the right thing to do.

Cheryl Gilligan, whose death is last year triggered by-elections in Chesham and Amersham, was replaced by a male Tory candidate who eventually lost against the Liberal Democrats.

Local party members chose Peter Fleet as the only shortlisted man, but rejected Nikki da Costa, a former aide to no. 10, and Olivia Seccombe of the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Mr Parish resigned on the latest set of allegations of sexual abuse by MEPs as part of another “Pestminster” scandal.

Last month, it was revealed that 56 alleged cases are under investigation, including three involving cabinet members after being reported to parliament’s independent appeal system.

It comes when Imran Ahmad Khan, a Conservative MP from Wakefield, called new upcoming by-elections after being convicted of sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy in 2008.

Another Tory MP, Davd Warburton, has been suspended following a series of charges in connection with sexual harassment and illicit drugswhich denies.

Ms Donelan said she had not experienced any harassment in parliament, but that it was “horrifying and worrying” to see so many reports of such conduct.

“It’s not a majority of MPs, it’s a minority. These are misogynistic dinosaurs. They don’t represent a majority of MPs,” she said.