A claim that a Conservative frontbencher watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons is being investigated by the party.

       The office of chief whip Chris Heaton Harris said “action will be taken” against the claim – which comes as misogny in politics is under heightened scrutiny.

       A female minister who said she was sat next to the frontbencher at the time told colleagues about the incident at a meeting of Tory MPs in Westminster on Tuesday night, according to the Mirror.

       Asked about the claims on the BBC’s Politics Live, Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said: “That’s unacceptable in any workplace really … if somebody has done that then quite rightly I would expect there to be some consequences for that.”

       Saying he would “call it out” if he saw it happening, he added: “I think that’s incredibly unprofessional. I would hope that when they’re in the chamber they’re concentrating on what they’re doing and not their mobile phones.”

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       He added: “I can’t even get a wi-fi signal in the chamber.”

       The Mirror also cited three sources as saying that around a dozen female Tory MPs at last night’s meeting shared accounts of sexism and harassment by colleagues.

       The revelation comes after misogny was thrust to the forefront of politics by a report in The Mail on Sundaywhich quoted an anonymous Tory MP accusing Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner of crossing and uncrossing her legs at PMQs to distract Boris Johnson.

       Ms Rayner hit out at the “sexist slurs” aimed at her as the editor of The Mail On Sunday refused a meeting with the Commons Speaker to discuss the article.

       Labour leader Starmer stood by deputy Rayner at PMQs

       (UK Parliament)

       On Wednesday,The Daily Mail published comments made by Ms Rayner on Matt Forde’s light-hearted political podcast in January in which she discussed comparisons between her attire in the Commons and a famed leg-crossing Basic Instinct featuring Sharon Stone – the same scene cited in Sunday’s article.

       After the comments were reported, Ms Rayner said on Wednesday: “I said to [Forde] in January that the sexist film parody about me was misogynistic and it still is now.

       As women we sometimes try to brush aside the sexism we face, but that doesn’t make it ok.

       She added: “‘The Mail’ implies today that I somehow enjoy being subjected to sexist slurs. I don’t. They are mortifying and deeply hurtful.”

       Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer raised the article at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, calling on Boris Johnson to agree there was “no place” for misogyny in modern Britain.

       Sir Keir said: “I know the prime minister will have whipped his backbenchers to scream and shout and that is fine. But I hope he has also sent a clear message that there is no place for sexism and misogyny or looking down on people because of where they come from in his party, in this House, or in modern Britain.”

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       Mr Johnson replied that he had “exchanged messages” with Ms Rayner at the weekend after the Mail on Sunday article was published.

       He added: “I repeat what I said to her, there can be absolutely no place for such behaviour or such expression in this House and we should treat each other frankly, with the respect that each other deserves.”