Voters in Honiton looks set to go to the polls to elect their MP on Thursday, June 23, after a ‘likely’ date has reportedly been set for a by-election.

Disgraced former Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish, who is a farmer by trade, was forced to resign after admitting watching X-rated videos, first saying he accidentally viewed one when browsing for tractors, before later doing so deliberately in the Commons chamber.

Whenever an MP resigns, a by-election is called when the chief whip – Chris Heaton-Harris MP - ‘moves the writ’.

In the Commons on Tuesday, it was announced that had taken place for the Tiverton and Honiton seat as well as the vacant seat in Wakefield.

It has been reported that the election will ‘likely’ take place on Thursday, June 23, although the Parliament website still states that the date of the by-election is ‘to be announced’.

Mr Parish has had his Conservative Party whip removed, but, In an interview with the Telegraph as he left Westminster, the 65-year-old said he could rely on his support in the farming community by running as an independent in the up-coming vote in Tiverton and Honiton.

“It is an option for me and one I could consider, the only thing that may well stop me is the fact that my local party, my local activists, my local councillors, all of which are friends, I don’t know if I want to do that to them,” Mr Parish told the Chopper’s Politics podcast.

“Some of the hierarchy of my own party I suppose I wouldn’t have the same problem in doing it. At the moment I’m taking soundings. I can raise the money, yeah, yeah.

“I don’t think I would have any problem in doing all that. I’ve got some quite powerful backers in the farming community.

“I don’t think I’m going there – but it is an option.”