Conservative MP Scott Benton has lost the appeal against his suspension, prompting yet another potential by-election nightmare for Rishi Sunak.
Mr Benton was appealing against a 35-day suspension after an undercover reporter caught him offering lobbying benefits for money.
Mr Benton was stripped of the party whip in 2023 after The Times filmed him saying he could leak a confidential policy paper to a bogus investment fund and ask parliamentary questions on its behalf. This breached parliamentary rules.
Parliament’s behaviour watchdog rejected his appeal on Tuesday (February 20), suggesting Mr Benton ‘simply disagreeing’ with the sanction wasn’t sufficient grounds for an appeal.
“Essentially, the appellant simply disagrees with the sanction determined,” the watchdog said.
“The first stage of the appeal process has not been met. The sanction imposed was neither unreasonable nor disproportionate.”
Mr Benton could be ousted from his seat if more than 10,000 of his Blackpool South constituents sign a recall petition to remove him. He won the seat in 2019 by a majority of 3,690 votes, meaning his removal looks likely.
Labour is also calling for Mr Benton to resign from the role. Here’s what you need to know about him.
Who is Scott Benton?
In 2011, Mr Benton was elected to Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council for the Brighouse ward, centred on the area of that name.
As a councillor, he was Deputy Leader of the Council and then Leader of the Conservative Group.
He previously ran for Strangford at the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election and Huddersfield, a safe seat for the Labour Party, at the 2017 general election.
Mr Benton was elected MP for Blackpool South in 2019, making it the first time since 1997 that the constituency had been represented by a Conservative.
He won with a majority of 3,690, achieving a swing of 9.4 per cent.
Since then, he has hit the headlines several times.
In January 2021, he was found to have broken parliamentary rules. He had failed to register six entries in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests within the House’s 28-day deadline, for payments received for his work as a members’ researcher.
He said it had been an “admin error”, meaning his income from Calderdale Council had not been properly declared.
In early 2023, Benton met undercover Times reporters who were posing as lobbying company representatives. During the meeting, Benton said he would accept up to £4,000 a month to help support their interests in Parliament — a major breach of lobbying rules. He was swiftly stripped of the whip and has stood as an independent candidate since.
What are his political views?
According to his website, Mr Benton’s political priorities are delivering a strong local economy and creating more jobs for local people; re-opening Blackpool Airport for commercial passenger flights to support local tourism, and delivering a Brexit that brings prosperity to the region.
During the 2019 election campaign, David Brown, who stood for the Brexit Party against Mr Benton, expressed concerns over his links to the anti-abortion organisation Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). This has campaigned against same-sex marriage and has been accused of homophobia.
In response, Mr Benton said he was no longer linked to the SPUC.
He said he supported its anti-abortion stance but was not homophobic and backed same-sex marriage.
According to politics.co.uk, he is on the right of the Conservative Party. The website says he has suggested that schools should fly the Union Jack and sing the national anthem, similar to the practice in many American schools.
What is Scott Benton’s voting history?
He has consistently voted against laws to promote equality and human rights, as well as for restricting the scope of legal aid.
He has generally voted against a reduction in spending on welfare benefits, and against measures to reduce tax avoidance.
Additionally, he has voted against reducing the rate of corporation tax, but for stronger enforcement of immigration rules and a stricter asylum system.
What is Scott Benton’s background?
Born in Newport, Wales, Mr Benton is used to working with local people, community groups, and businesses.
He studied theology as an undergraduate at the University of Nottingham. He then completed a postgraduate degree and gained a master’s in theology.
He previously worked for Craig Whittaker MP and was a councillor in Yorkshire for eight years.
Before this, he worked as a primary school teacher where he supported underprivileged children.
As well as spending his spare time with family and supporting community events, Mr Benton, 36, is a keen football fan and supports Tottenham.
