PM faces another bruising at polls
By-election looms as MP loses appeal
RISHI Sunak faces yet more by-election misery as Scott Benton has lost his appeal against a suspension.
In an undercover newspaper sting, the MP was caught offering to lobby ministers on behalf of gambling investors.
In December, the Commons sleaze watchdog found he had committed an “extremely serious” breach of Parliamentary rules and recommended he be given a 35-day suspension.
His appeal was rejected yesterday. If MPs rubber-stamp the suspension, a recall petition will be held in his constituency of Blackpool South in Lancashire.
There would then be a by-election if over 10% of voters call for one. He won the seat for the Tories with a 3,690-majority over Labour at the last election.
SCANDAL
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said: “He should resign, saving people a lengthy recall petition that would leave them without the representation they deserve.
“This is yet another by-election caused by Tory scandal.”
It is a week since the Tories lost two previously safe seats to Labour – Wellingborough and Kingswood – in by-elections.
Mr Benton said he is “deeply disappointed by the decision of the Appeal Panel to uphold the Standards Committee’s unjust findings against me”.
He added: “My record of activity in Blackpool and Westminster, where I am among the most frequent contributors to Parliament, speaks for itself.” Mr Benton, 36, has been an independent
MP since the Tory whip was suspended in April last year when the scandal erupted.
The Standards Committee then found that during the sting Mr Benton gave the impression
“he was corrupt”.