MP Scott Benton faces Commons suspension over lobbying scandal

A member of parliament could be suspended for 35 days, which could lead to a challenging byelection for Rishi Sunak.

According to sources, Scott Benton, who serves as a Member of Parliament for Blackpool South, allegedly offered to use his influence to persuade government officials to support the gambling industry. Additionally, he proposed to share a confidential policy document with interested parties in exchange for a monthly payment of £4,000.

Journalists from the Times went undercover, pretending to be agents of a phoney investment group. They discovered that an MP, who won a seat for the Conservatives in 2019, claimed he could use his connections to receive special treatment and gain access to government officials easily while waiting in line to vote in Parliament.

Benton's conduct was considered a severe violation of the rules by the Commons standards committee.

According to the report from the standards committee, he told the undercover reporters that he was corrupt and willing to be bought, alongside many other house members.

The statement Mr. Benton made regarding the expectations in parliament was harmful. Our disapproval of Mr. Benton's words stems from the fact that they inappropriately smear the reputations of all members of parliament.

The committee suggested that he be put on a 35-day suspension.

If the House of Commons supports the penalty, Benton might be confronted with a by-election. The Conservative party dismissed him of his duties following the accusations.

The constituency of Blackpool South is known as a "red wall" seat where the Labour Party has enjoyed continuous support since the 1997 election, until Benton's win in 2019. It is considered one of the most impoverished regions in England.

The Labour party has chosen Chris Webb, who is a left-leaning trade unionist, as their potential candidate for parliament in a seat they are confident they can win, according to Keir Starmer and his team.

At the start of the year, the Labour party won the West Lancashire byelection comfortably, and they also achieved a big victory in the Wakefield byelection last year, winning back another seat that used to be a strong support base for them.

In October, Sunak faced a pair of losses in byelections, causing experienced members of the Conservative Party to caution him that the party's morale was at risk of plummeting.

Benton's whip has been suspended, and he has been working as an independent MP since April. There were requests for him to resign after the Times newspaper reported that he had tried to promote a fake investment opportunity in the midst of a major review of gambling legislation. The newspaper reported that the fund was seeking an "expert advisor" and that it was important to gain input from policy makers for their investment strategy. Although some MPs declined to participate, Benton was reportedly willing to meet with the fund managers.

When Benton was questioned about what he could provide for the phony corporation instead of a public relations or advocacy organization, he reportedly responded by saying, "I'm aware of at least ten different public relations firms who are vying for an audience with the minister... What's advantageous about politicians is that we have multiple votes in the House of Commons every day, and we'll be voting again later."

When you are waiting at the entrance to the voting lobby, you will be in a prime position to speak with the minister. You will have the chance to catch their attention during the five-minute wait, and then you can continue the conversation for up to 10 minutes while walking to the next vote. This is a great opportunity to make yourself heard.

In plain English, Starmer stated that the scandal was evidence that the prime minister couldn't manage his MPs. He accused Benton of ignoring the rules that MPs were supposed to obey.

In the parliament, there are 18 autonomous MPs who have been ousted from their respective political parties. They exceed in number than the Liberal Democrats who are present in Westminster.