Rishi Sunak faces fresh byelection as former Tory MP suspended

Scott Benton had the Tory whip removed in April 2023 and has been suspended for 35 days. Photograph: Beresford Hodge/PA

Rishi Sunak is braced for another byelection after former the Tory MP Scott Benton was suspended from the Commons for 35 days over his role in a lobbying sting.

MPs approved the suspension of the Blackpool South MP on Tuesday evening without the need for a vote.

The length of the suspension means that Benton is now facing a recall petition, and if 10% of his constituents sign it, a byelection will be triggered in his seat.

It would take the number of byelections held during Sunak’s time as prime minister to 11.

Benton had the Tory whip removed in April 2023 after suggesting to undercover reporters at the Times that he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money.

Benton had offered to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry and leak a confidential policy document for up to £4,000 a month.

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

Benton denied wrongdoing and appealed against the suspension to the independent expert panel (IEP), the body that sits above the standards committee.

He appealed on the grounds that the procedure was flawed, claiming the decision was leaked by the committee.

Last week, the former Conservative MP lost his appeal against the suspension.

The backbench MP has sat as an independent since being kicked out of the Conservative party.

Blackpool South is a “red wall” seat, having backed the Labour party from the 1997 election until Benton’s win in 2019. It is one of the most deprived areas in England.

Labour has selected the leftwing trade unionist Chris Webb as its prospective parliamentary candidate.

Labour has comfortably won byelections in Wellingborough, Kingswood, Rutherglen, Tamworth, Selby, Wakefield and Mid Bedfordshire in recent times.