Britain’s ruling Conservative Party has suspended Scott Benton MP after he told undercover reporters that he was prepared to work as a paid lobbyist for a gambling company in breach of parliamentary rules.
A spokesperson for Tory Chief Whip Simon Hart said on Wednesday evening: “Following his self-referral to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards earlier this evening, Scott Benton has had the Conservative Party whip suspended whilst an investigation is ongoing.”
The suspension means that Benton is no longer a Conservative MP and must now sit in the House of Commons as an independent.
It comes after an undercover investigation for The Times of London newspaper found that Benton offered to leak market-sensitive information to a bogus investment fund and ask parliamentary questions on its behalf.
Benton is chairman of the all-party parliamentary group for betting and gaming and has been a vocal supporter of the gambling industry.
Sting Operation
The Times of London said it set up a fake company—complete with a logo, website, and office addresses in London and Chennai—to test allegations that MPs were prepared to break the rules.Benton believed he was talking to two employees of Tahr Partners, a British-Indian family office interested in investing in the betting and gaming sector, who were in fact undercover reporters.
In a meeting in early March, Benton told the reporters how he could support the fund by attempting to water down proposed gambling reforms.
The MP for Blackpool South offered a “guarantee” to provide a copy of an upcoming gambling White Paper to the business at least two days before publication, potentially allowing it to benefit from market-sensitive information.
He also said he could raise parliamentary written questions and that he had previously done so on behalf of another company.
Benton said he could offer “the direct ear of a minister who is actually going to make these decisions” and speak to them outside the voting lobby in the House of Commons.
Lobbying Rules
The actions Benton said he was prepared to take would break Parliament’s lobbying rules.Under those rules, MPs are forbidden from advocating a particular matter in the House or raising it with ministers in return for payment.
They are also prohibited from serving as a paid parliamentary adviser or consultant or guiding firms on ways to influence Parliament.
In a statement, Benton said: “Last month I was approached by a purported company offering me an expert advisory role. I met with two individuals claiming to represent the company to find out what this role entailed. After this meeting, I was asked to forward my CV and some other personal details. I did not do so as I was concerned that what was being asked of me was not within Parliamentary rules.
“I contacted the Commons Registrar and the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner who clarified these rules for me and had no further contact with the company. I did this before being made aware that the company did not exist and the individuals claiming to represent it were journalists.”
Talking to Times Radio on Thursday morning, transport minister Richard Holden said that Benton’s behaviour is “totally unacceptable.”
‘Tory Sleaze Is Back’
It comes after former Cabinet ministers Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng drew criticism for offering to advise a bogus South Korean company for up to £10,000 a day in a sting by the campaign group Led By Donkeys last month, although there was no accusation of wrongdoing.Commenting on the latest incident, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told broadcasters on Thursday: “I think it is really important we have rules and regulations and transparency, so that wherever anyone accepts hospitality we know what has happened.
“With Scott Benton, as we have seen, it is flagrant disregard of those rules and those principles.”
Starmer added: “It is not a one-off. Only a few weeks ago we saw three other Tory MPs looking after lucrative jobs, thousands of pounds at the time, for their apparent advice.
“I think all of this shows that the prime minister has lost a grip. And if ever we needed further evidence, this is it—that Tory sleaze is back.”
The Liberal Democrats also criticised what it calls “Conservative sleaze.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “These shocking revelations are yet another damning indictment of the state of the Conservative Party. The British public are sick of Conservative sleaze.”
