Potential by-election as ex-Tory MP Scott Benton faces Commons ban
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Scott Benton is presently functioning as a non-affiliated Member of Parliament (MP) following his suspension from the Conservative party.
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Scott Benton, a Member of Parliament, may be set for a 35-day suspension from Parliament due to a breach of standards rules that was deemed very serious.
According to a report from the Commons Standards Committee, he conveyed the impression that he was corrupt and could be bought.
In case Members of Parliament agree to the suspension, it might result in a special election being held in the Blackpool South electoral district he represents.
Mr Benton has held his position as an independent MP ever since the Tory whip was taken away from him in April.
During a meeting with journalists from newspapers who pretended to be investors in the gambling sector, he was discovered making an offer to influence government officials and submit inquiries to Parliament.
As a penalty, Mr. Benton will also not receive his payment while being suspended.
If the House of Commons approves a suspension that lasts for more than 10 days, it will prompt a petition for a recall.
A by-election will take place if the petition is signed by 10% of the voters in the politician's constituency.
This implies that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak might have to deal with another election in the upcoming year which has been initiated by the wrongdoing of one of his own members of parliament.
The people who can vote in Wellingborough are presently contemplating whether they should remove Peter Bone, their Member of Parliament, from his position due to claims of sexual misconduct and bullying.
The deadline for the recall petition is December 19th.
Mr. Benton holds a not-so-secure position with a lead of only 3,690 votes.
Since being under the Labour Party's control from 1997 to 2019, it would be expected that regaining control would be effortless due to their high ranking in the polls.
This year, Mr Sunak did not do well in four by-elections. He lost in Tamworth and Selby and Ainsty. The Labour party won those seats by overcoming majorities of over 20,000.
According to a statement released by the Commons Standards Committee, Mr. Benton conveyed the impression that he was dishonest and could be easily influenced by bribery, and that many other members of the House shared these traits.
According to reports, he conveyed a harmful message concerning the norms in Parliament and his statements undeservedly blemish the standing of all members of Parliament.
During a meeting with reporters from the Times, Mr. Benton was secretly filmed and claimed that he did not consent to participate in any actions that would violate regulations.
However, the committee stated that he had proposed that the Members of Parliament could use their influence to persuade government officials, arrange meetings with advisors from the government, submit inquiries in parliament and offer access to confidential documents.
The report has stated that Mr. Benton had proposed a willingness to violate the regulations governing the Commons in return for remuneration from the company, which was ultimately discovered to be fictitious.
The report found that he showed a willingness to ignore the regulations on several occasions, giving the impression that numerous other Members of Parliament had also acted in this manner before.
The board stated that this was an extremely severe violation of the guidelines that demand lawmakers to refrain from engaging in any activity that results in substantial harm to the reputation and principles of the House of Commons.
The statement stated that the remarks conveyed an untrue perception of the ethical standards of lawmakers. If the public were to believe them as accurate, it could damage the respect for Parliament and jeopardize the fundamental principles of our democratic system.
Mr Benton wrote a letter to the committee, where he stated that he didn't think his actions went against the rules. He believed that he followed the rules both in their literal interpretation and intended meaning.
The Member of Parliament stated that after the meeting, he did not have any additional contact with the made-up business since it was clear during their discussion that the proposal was not feasible and did not comply with regulations.
He stated that his participation in the meeting was an error and he profoundly feels sorry for his remarks. He wishes to express his apologies without hesitation for the wrong information he uttered.
The Labour party expressed that the report was extremely critical.
The leader of the opposition in the House of Commons, Lucy Powell stated that this is not a single incident but a result of several instances of unethical behavior and disgrace by the Conservative party.
The conduct of Mr. Benton has proven to be a source of disappointment, according to the Conservative Party's chairman Richard Holden.
He stated that it was appropriate to take prompt action, noting that the MP was promptly suspended from the party as soon as the accusations were made public.
