Ex-Tory MP loses appeal against Commons suspension - paving way for by-election

Blackpool South MP Scott Benton has lost an appeal against a proposed suspension from the House of Commons after he was caught in a lobbying sting.

Ex-Tory MP loses appeal against Commons suspension – paving way for by-election

The move paves the way for a fresh by-election headache for the Conservatives, who have lost a record amount of seats this parliament.

Mr Benton was suspended from the Tory parliamentary party last April after suggesting to an undercover reporter at The Times that he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money.

A subsequent investigation by the standards committee found he had committed a “very serious breach” of the rules and recommended a 35-day suspension from the House of Commons.

Mr Benton denied wrongdoing and appealed the suspension to the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), the body that sits above the Parliamentary Standards Committee.

Now that it has been upheld, MPs will vote on the punishment and if passed, this will trigger a recall petition that will result in a by-election if 10% of constituents vote for it.

Mr Benton was elected as the Tory MP for Blackpool South in 2019, and has a majority of just 3,690. It had been a Labour seat since 1997 – but was Conservative before that.

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