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Post by matureleft on Dec 14, 2023 9:44:59 GMT
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Post by stb12 on Dec 14, 2023 10:00:54 GMT
Benton was seeking a new seat anyway I believe?
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Post by batman on Dec 14, 2023 12:49:34 GMT
Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. Yes he has been seeking a new seat. Good luck with that.
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graham
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Post by graham on Dec 14, 2023 12:54:49 GMT
Can Benton not appeal this decison? If so, a Commons vote is unlikely before February.
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ricmk
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Post by ricmk on Dec 14, 2023 13:02:37 GMT
Can Benton not appeal this decison? If so, a Commons vote is unlikely before February. Happy to be corrected by the experts, but I believe that an appeal is heard by the Standards Committee before publication of their report. So the fact that they've published today means that he's waived his right of appeal; they'd have waited for his appeal to be heard otherwise. Having glanced through their report there seems little scope for appeal; the conduct is all on video so there's little to dispute in the evidence. The only points of disagreement seem to be that he feels it didn't breach the code, and that he realised his errors soon after the meeting, thoroughly rejected by the Commissioner and Committee. So an appeal would just drag things out with little prospect of changing minds. Hard to see this one being objected to by the Commons either, he's stated that a load of his colleagues are on the make and accepting dodgy hospitality, and he's burned his bridges with his local party...I can't see where any support for him is coming from, so probably best for all concerned if he takes some advice from friends and decides to step out of the limelight.
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graham
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Post by graham on Dec 14, 2023 13:08:43 GMT
There have been appeals in earlier cases, and whilst the outcome would almost certainly be unchanged it would delay the process for at least a few weeks.
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Post by East Anglian Lefty on Dec 14, 2023 13:23:49 GMT
This poses the question of whether the delay would be sufficient for him to still be an MP by the time of the third reading of the Rwanda Bill.
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Post by gwynthegriff on Dec 14, 2023 13:44:01 GMT
Benton was seeking a new seat anyway I believe? Oh well, he can add to his cv "I have experience of standards work"
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Post by matureleft on Dec 14, 2023 14:00:59 GMT
The recent cases aren’t all using the same process. Bone is different to Benton, for example.
It’s interesting that Benton was targeted in this way (unless the journalists tried a number of possibilities and Benton was the only one to bite, but I think we’d have heard from the righteous if so!). One can only assume that his behaviour prompted a sting attempt. He does suggest (and then deny to the investigation) that he has behaved in some of the ways described before.
His defence is a combination of ‘I knew it was wrong, thought better of it, and nothing came of it’ and ‘I am a lying bullshitter promising things that I couldn’t actually do’.
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Post by manchesterman on Dec 14, 2023 14:19:59 GMT
Probably best not to put that on his CV though!
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Dec 14, 2023 14:21:44 GMT
Benton was seeking a new seat anyway I believe? Oh well, he can add to his cv "I have experience of standards work""By looking for another constituency while under investigation, I show ingenuity and a willingness to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances."
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CatholicLeft
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Post by CatholicLeft on Dec 15, 2023 18:46:36 GMT
Apparently Scott Benton is appealing, with the appeal being heard in the New Year. At least, that has been reported on North West Tonight news.
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Post by batman on Dec 15, 2023 21:03:08 GMT
really? I find him most unappealing.
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graham
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Post by graham on Dec 15, 2023 21:10:32 GMT
Any by election now likely to be later than the May Local Elections. Government might decide to keep the seat vacant until the Summer Recess.
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CatholicLeft
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Post by CatholicLeft on Dec 15, 2023 21:30:58 GMT
Given his desperation to remain an MP (looking for another constituency), I can see him clinging on until the last moment, but what does he gain? He was caught out, admits it, tried to say others would do the same. He has no way forward in his party. Appealing without grounds, beyond saying the investigation was unfair, is not going to butterany parsnips. If I was advising him, I tell him to accept the decision,resign (or, if the party whips asked me to wait for the outcome of a recall petition, do so, but without public comment), apologise, and work my way back over the next few years. Sadly, there is too much short-termism with little far-sightedness.
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peterl
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Post by peterl on Dec 15, 2023 22:15:06 GMT
No doubt I will be criticised by some for saying this, but the appeals process really does just make a mockery of the whole standards system. Anyone who receives a 10 day plus suspension appeals and claims several months further salary regardless of whether their appeal has any merit. Maybe it would be better if there was a swift assessment made of whether there are any genuine grounds to appeal and the appeal dismissed otherwise.
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Wisconsin
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Post by Wisconsin on Dec 15, 2023 22:32:34 GMT
If I recall correctly, appeals are swift.
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Post by markgoodair on Dec 16, 2023 7:47:58 GMT
Given his desperation to remain an MP (looking for another constituency), I can see him clinging on until the last moment, but what does he gain? He was caught out, admits it, tried to say others would do the same. He has no way forward in his party. Appealing without grounds, beyond saying the investigation was unfair, is not going to butterany parsnips. If I was advising him, I tell him to accept the decision,resign (or, if the party whips asked me to wait for the outcome of a recall petition, do so, but without public comment), apologise, and work my way back over the next few years. Sadly, there is too much short-termism with little far-sightedness. Just another arrogant Tory out to milk the system for all it's worth like out Pedo representative did in Wakefield.
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Dec 16, 2023 11:52:21 GMT
Any by election now likely to be later than the May Local Elections. Government might decide to keep the seat vacant until the Summer Recess. The appeal is going to be heard soon after parliament resumes next month, and as already mentioned they are swift when it is simply a question of the accused MP playing for time (this was certainly the case with Ferrier) So there is little reason to suppose any of the above - if a GE does not intervene, any poll will likely be in May if not earlier.
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Post by greatkingrat on Dec 16, 2023 12:27:09 GMT
Any by election now likely to be later than the May Local Elections. Government might decide to keep the seat vacant until the Summer Recess. The appeal is going to be heard soon after parliament resumes next month, and as already mentioned they are swift when it is simply a question of the accused MP playing for time (this was certainly the case with Ferrier) So there is little reason to suppose any of the above - if a GE does not intervene, any poll will likely be in May if not earlier. Ferrier's appeal took nearly two months. With nothing happening over Christmas, it is likely Benton's appeal will take longer. To hold a by-election on 2 May, the recall process needs to be started early February, which seems unlikely to me.
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