Rishi Sunak faces yet another by-election following a recommendation from the Commons Standards Committee to suspend MP Scott Benton from the chamber for 35 days.
Mr. Benton, who was suspended from the parliamentary Tory party in April, was found, according to The Times, suggesting a willingness to disregard lobbying rules for financial gain. This morning, the committee’s ruling emphasized Mr. Benton’s serious breach of rules by repeatedly signaling a readiness to flout House regulations and by implying that many Members of the House engage in similar misconduct.
The suspension, if exceeding 10 days and approved by a Commons vote, triggers a recall petition, allowing Mr. Benton’s constituents to determine whether they wish to proceed with a by-election. Elected as the Tory MP for Blackpool South in 2019 with a slim majority, the seat had been held by Labour since 1997, previously Conservative.
Recent by-elections have seen significant shifts in political allegiance, with both Labour and the Liberal Democrats overturning substantial majorities. The committee underscored aggravating factors in Mr. Benton’s case, citing an incomplete and incorrect representation of events and hinting at a potential pattern of behaviour beyond this instance.
They highlighted his remarks indicating a willingness to collaborate with companies in falsifying hospitality valuations as potentially part of a broader pattern of conduct. Describing Mr. Benton’s actions as an “extremely serious breach,” the committee lamented the toxic message conveyed about parliamentary standards.
The recommended 35-day suspension stands as one of the longest ever proposed by the committee, second only to a potential 90-day period that would have been recommended for Boris Johnson had he not resigned from the Commons over the Partygate scandal.
Mr. Benton engaged with undercover reporters from The Times, believing them to be employees of a fabricated lobbying company. During this encounter, he appeared willing to receive payment ranging from £2,000 to £4,000 monthly in exchange for aiding the fake company, complete with a logo, website, and office addresses in London and Chennai, India.
Strict regulations prohibit MPs from engaging in paid lobbying or offering advice in such matters.
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