Rishi Sunak faced another tough byelection when an MP’s appeal against a 35-day suspension from parliament for allegedly threatening gambling firm ministers was rejected.
Former Blackpool South Conservative MP Scott Benton requested a review of the standards committee’s “very serious breach of the rules.”.
Scott Benton offered ministers £4,000 a month to reveal the gaming company’s plot. The committee proposed a 35-day restriction pending parliamentary approval after evaluating the facts.
The member told the Times’ undercover reporters he could “call in favors” from colleagues and had “easy access” to ministers before parliamentary votes. Investors were fake journalists.
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“That he was corrupt and ‘for sale,’ and that so were many other members of the house,” he told undercover reporters, a Commons Standards Committee probe found.
A toxic standards narrative was spread in parliament. We disagree with Mr. Benton’s unfounded attacks on all MPs.
Scott Benton appealed, claiming the methodology was defective and the committee leaked the conclusions. Independent experts that evaluated the watchdog findings disagreed.
Benton, who resigned as Conservative whip after the charges, would have to run in a byelection if the Commons upholds the penalty.
From 1997 to 2019, Blackpool South was a Labour “red wall” electorate and one of England’s poorest.
Left-wing trade unionist Chris Webb challenged Keir Starmer for Labour’s parliamentary seat.
A party official encouraged Benton to resign immediately to avoid a recall petition.
Ashworth said, “Without Scott Benton’s resignation, Blackpool South residents would not have been represented.” Resigning would have prevented a lengthy recall petition.”
Tory incoherence again drives this byelection. Britain doesn’t need Conservative carousel hysteria.
Blackpool labor representative Chris Webb aims to restore Blackpool South.
Labour easily won Wakefield, Mid Bedfordshire, Wellingborough, Kingswood, Rutherglen, Tamworth, Selby, and Selby byelections.
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