Tory MP Scott Benton faces 35-day suspension and by-election over lobbying scandal

Rishi Sunak faces another crunch by-election after it was recommended that a Tory MP caught in a "toxic" lobbying scandal be suspended.

Blackpool South MP Scott Benton should be banned from the House of Commons for 35 days, the Committee on Standards said on Thursday.

If Parliament backs the punishment, the length of the suspension could trigger a by-election in his Red Wall constituency.

Mr Benton was stripped of the Conservative party whip earlier this year after an undercover investigation by The Times newspaper showed him saying he could leak a confidential policy paper to a bogus investment fund and ask parliamentary questions on its behalf.

At the meeting, on March 7, he offered to “guarantee” to provide a copy of an upcoming gambling White Paper to the fictitious betting firm Tahr Partners at least two days before publication.

Footage also showed him saying he could table parliamentary written questions, claiming he had done so previously on behalf of another organisation.

Mr Benton’s actions were an “extremely serious breach” of the rules, the Committee said.

The message he gave to the undercover reporters was “that he was corrupt and ‘for sale’, and that so were many other Members of the House”, the Standards Committee’s report added.

“He communicated a toxic message about standards in Parliament.

“We condemn Mr Benton for his comments which unjustifiably tarnish the reputation of all MPs.”

Mr Benton was chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Betting and Gaming when he was approached by undercover reporters.

The MP insisted that “at no point during the meeting did he agree to undertake activity that would be in breach of the rules” and he referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg when the Times published its story in April.

The Commissioner said: “Mr Benton’s conduct falls within the class of conduct that would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole and its Members generally, and accordingly amounts to a breach of paragraph 11 of the Code”.

Lucy Powell, Labour’s Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, said the report was "damning".

“This is not an isolated case, but comes off the back of a wave of Tory sleaze and scandal," she said.

“In Chris Webb Blackpool South has an opportunity to elect its first ever Blackpool born MP, they deserve an MP they can be proud of, and a fresh start.

“Labour will restore standards in public life, drumming the value of service into our politics and overseeing a total crackdown on cronyism.”

The Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney called for Mr Benton to resign.

“Another day, another Tory sleaze scandal,” she said.

“Scott Benton should do the decent thing by resigning immediately. The public are fed up of Conservative MPs dragging Parliament through the mud.”

Since the 2019 General Election, 19 parliamentary by-elections have been called.

A recall petition is currently underway in Wellingborough after Tory MP Peter Bone was suspended when a report was released into bullying and sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.

This year the Conservatives have lost four seats in votes called after the party’s MPs were embroiled in scandals.

The most recent poll in Tamworth, called after the resignation of disgraced MP Christopher Pincher, saw Labour overturn a 19,000 Tory majority to win the seat.