Half a century ago I had to summon up courage to reach up to the top shelf for a copy of Health & Efficiency, then endure the disapproving glare of the newsagent as he placed it into a brown paper bag. Now -apparently- porn can just pop up on your mobile phone spontaneously.
How excruciatingly dreadful it must have been to be Neil Parish at the centre of the media frenzy, with even colleagues demanding instant execution. Imagine the humiliation and embarrassment of attempting to explain it to your wife, or your mother.
There are people, including children, who are addicted to online pornography. I recall an excellent and hilarious play about the condition, but it is no joke. My former colleague Claire Perry campaigned tirelessly against it and I remember being summoned to a meeting at Poulner Baptist Church to be cross-examined about what we were going to do about it. Not much yet, is the answer to that one, although we expect the Online Harms Bill to be in the Queens Speech on 10th May (though there are many legitimate reservations about the bill).
We can sometimes be understanding of addictive behaviour such as gambling or alcoholism.
Watching Porn in the Commons reveals a lamentable want of judgement. Perhaps some of the coverage has revealed a want of charity too.
Sir Desmond Swayne TD
