Rishi Sunak faces the prospect of another difficult by-election after an independent panel upheld a finding that former Conservative MP Scott Benton should be suspended from the Commons for 35 days.
Mr Benton, who was elected as a Conservative but now sits as an independent, was found to have breached Commons rules after he was caught by the Times offering to lobby ministers and table parliamentary questions on behalf of gambling investors.
He appealed against both the finding and the suspension, but in a report published on Tuesday an independent panel upheld the Standards Committee’s original decision, saying there had been “no procedural flaw” in the process.
The panel also described Mr Benton’s arguments against the recommended suspension as “misconceived or erroneous”, finding the sanction was “neither unreasonable nor disproportionate”.
Scott Benton should do the decent thing and resign, saving the people of Blackpool South a lengthy recall petition that would leave them without the representation they deserve
The finding means MPs will now vote on whether to implement the recommended suspension which, if supported, would trigger a recall petition and a potential by-election in Mr Benton’s seat if 10% of his constituents sign the petition.
The Conservatives won Blackpool South in 2019 with a majority of just 3,690, raising the prospect of another difficult by-election for the Prime Minister after losses in Wellingborough and Kingswood last week.
Labour called on Mr Benton to resign immediately rather than wait for the outcome of any recall petition.
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, said: “Scott Benton should do the decent thing and resign, saving the people of Blackpool South a lengthy recall petition that would leave them without the representation they deserve.
“This is yet another by-election caused by Tory scandal. Britain deserves better than this carousel of Conservative chaos.
“Labour’s Chris Webb is Blackpool born and bred, and ready to deliver a fresh start for Blackpool South.”
