Suspended Tory MP Scott Benton faces 35-day Commons ban
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Scott Benton is currently serving as an independent Member of Parliament after the Conservative party suspended him.
Scott Benton, a Member of Parliament, may suffer a 35-day suspension from the Parliament due to a severe violation of the standards regulations.
According to a report from the Commons Standards Committee, it was mentioned that the individual in question had conveyed the message that he was open to bribery and was willing to be bought.
If the Members of Parliament give the green light to the suspension, it may trigger a need for a new election in the Blackpool South area that he represents.
Earlier this year, Mr Benton lost his membership to the Conservative party and now serves as an independent.
During a gathering with journalists from newspapers disguising themselves as investors involved in the gambling sector, he was discovered making an offer to persuade government officials and present questions in parliament.
As a consequence of punishment, Mr. Benton would also have to forfeit his salary for the entirety of his suspension.
If the House of Commons approves a suspension of over 10 days, it will initiate a recall petition.
If a total of 10% of registered voters within his constituency sign the petition, it would trigger a by-election.
At the moment, Mr. Benton is leading his constituency by a margin of 3,690, causing the Labour Party to view his seat as a high priority target for the upcoming general election.
The report received criticism from the Labour party, who described it as "damning".
Lucy Powell, who holds the position of the opposition's shadow leader of the House of Commons, declared that this particular occurrence is not the only one of its kind. She added that it's part of a series of political scandals that have plagued the Conservative Party.
The conduct of Mr. Benton was unsatisfactory, according to the Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden.
He stated that taking prompt action was appropriate, and went on to explain that the politician was suspended from their party right away as soon as the accusations were made known.
The call for a petition to remove someone from office will end on December 19th.
According to a statement from the Commons Standards Committee, it was reported that Mr. Benton conveyed a message stating that he was willing to engage in corrupt activities and could be easily bought off, and that many other Members of the House had similar tendencies.
It was stated that he conveyed a negative message regarding the norms in the Parliament, and his statements unfairly damage the image of all Members of Parliament.
During a meeting with undercover reporters from the Times, which was recorded secretly, Mr. Benton stated that he did not give his consent to engage in any activity that would violate regulations.
However, the committee asserted that he proposed that Members of Parliament could petition ministers, arrange meetings with officials in the government, ask questions in Parliament, and offer access to confidential papers.
According to the report, Mr. Benton had hinted that he would violate the rules of the Commons for payment from a company that turned out to be fraudulent.
The investigation discovered that he had frequently demonstrated his readiness to ignore the regulations and created the perception that numerous Members of Parliament had also engaged in such behavior in previous instances.
According to the committee, the violation of regulations by MPs that results in considerable harm to the reputation and integrity of the Commons is a truly grave offense.
The statement stated that the remarks made were misleading in regards to the ethical standards of elected officials. If taken as truth, these comments could erode the public's trust in Parliament and weaken the fundamental principles of our democratic system.
Mr. Benton wrote to the committee and expressed that he does not think he broke any rules. He believes that he followed the rules as they were written and intended to be followed.
The Member of Parliament stated that after the meeting, he did not have any more exchanges with the fake organization because it became evident during their discussion that the proposal was unfeasible since it would violate the regulations.
He said, "I made a mistake by attending the meeting and I am truly sorry for what I said. I want to apologize once again for the untrue statements that I made."
