Gambling sting MP loses appeal against 35-day House of Commons suspension
Former Tory MP Scott Benton could face a by-election for Blackpool South seat as Independent Expert Panel states his claims had “no substance”
Former Conservative MP Scott Benton has lost his appeal against a 35-day ban from the House of Commons as a result of being caught out in a faux gambling lobbying sting.
Benton, who has served as an Independent MP for Blackpool South since being removed as a Tory MP in April 2023, was found by the Independent Expert Panel to have breached the House of Commons Code of Conduct.
Benton appealed against a decision from the Committee on Standards which had judged the MP of committing a “very serious breach” of parliamentary rules relating to Paragraph 11 of the Code of Conduct.
Paragraph 11 reads: “Members shall never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation of and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its Members generally.”
Benton was caught in an undercover sting by reporters for The Times, who posed as representatives of an Indian business looking to be involved in the UK betting and gaming industry.
In a covertly recorded meeting, Benton provided the journalists with confidential government documents, suggested other MPS would be able to support the fictitious company’s aims, and claimed he would be able to provide early access to the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review.
Following the meeting, Benton subsequently reported himself to the Parliamentary Commssioner of Standards, Daniel Greenberg, describing his attendance as a “lapse in judgement”.
However, in January, Benton filed an appeal against the ruling on the grounds the investigation into his actions were “materially flawed” and the resulting decision was “disproportionate”.
Benton also alleged there were leaks from the Standards Committee, namely to the Daily Mirror, which he sought to challenge.
After considering the appeal, the Independent Expert Panel said: “Taking all these matters into account, we are satisfied that there is no substance in the Appellant’s [Benton’s] grounds.
“Essentially, the Appellant simply disagrees with the sanction determined. The first stage of the appeal process has not been met. The sanction imposed was neither unreasonable nor disproportionate.”
As a result, Benton’s 35-day suspension from the House will stand.