Brooks Newmark has said he wants to stay on as MP for Braintree despite resigning as a cabinet minister after being caught out in an undercover sting for the Sunday Mirror.
"I want a standing full body shot", Brooks Newmark told fake PR girl
The 56-year-old father-of-five said he had received messages of support encouraging him to remain an MP since it emerged that he had sent explicit messages to an undercover male freelance reporter posing as a Tory PR girl.
Speaking exclusively to the Essex Chronicle, Mr Newmark said: "I love Braintree and everyone I have represented over the past nine years.
"I have had many messages of support in the past couple of days encouraging me to stay on, and that is what I hope to do.
"I have no one to blame but myself for falling for this tabloid sting.
"What I did was wrong and I am sorry for the pain and shame I have caused my family, my friends and my constituents. I have been a complete fool and deeply regret my behaviour.
He added: "I hope people will give me the time to try to heal the enormous hurt I have caused Lucy and the children.
"I hope with time I can be forgiven."
The scandal came on the eve of the Conservative Party's final conference before the next general election, and will be particularly embarrassing for Prime Minister David Cameron, given Mr Newmark's vocal involvement in the Women2Win campaign, which aims to promote female MPs.
