Blackpool South (resignation mid-recall)

[doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️]

Scott Benton has been recommended for a 35-day suspension:

By repeatedly indicating his willingness to disregard the house’s rules [on paid lobbying], and by giving the impression that many members of the house had in the past and will in the future engage in such misconduct, Mr Benton committed a very serious breach of paragraph 11 of the rules. His comments gave a false impression of the morality of MPs in a way which, if the public were to accept them as accurate, would be corrosive to respect for Parliament and undermine the foundations of our democracy.

A serious sanction is appropriate. We recommend that the house suspend Mr Benton from its service for a total of 35 days, with concomitant loss of salary.

Previous result:

[doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️]

Dec 14, 2023 9:44:59 GMT matureleft said:

Here's the report.
committees.parliament.uk/publications/42581/documents/211708/default/

[minionofmidas]

Dec 14, 2023 12:10:36 GMT doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ said:

by giving the impression that many members of the house had in the past and will in the future engage in such misconduct, Mr Benton committed a very serious breach of paragraph 11 of the rules. His comments gave a false impression of the morality of MPs in a way which, if the public were to accept them as accurate, would be corrosive to respect for Parliament

does have just a whiff of that old joke s.o. gets 3 months for libellous slander against the President (or Parliament in this case) and two years for divulging official secrets...

[Wisconsin]

Could you rename the thread (Potential recall petition/by-election) for the time being? There’s a (mild) jumping of the gun here.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

The recall petition is still only a "potential" but it's as near to a political certainty as it's possible to get - if Boris Johnson couldn't avoid one for Owen Paterson, Rishi Sunak is hardly likely to give himself a massive self-inflicted wound by trying to save Scott Benton. Especially as the evidence of wrongdoing is proved to the hilt.

But we don't know the dates. There are only two sitting days left before the Christmas recess so presumably the report and suspension won't be voted on until January. Allow a further fortnight plus a six week recall petition window brings us to mid March. Assuming the petition is successful (which is highly likely), the byelection will not happen in the event of a May general election.

[peterl]

Let's face it, there's only two ways we are seeing a by election, either Benton resigns pretty sharpish or the general election isn't held until the autumn, which is starting to look less and less likely.

[johnloony]

Dec 15, 2023 0:14:32 GMT peterl said:

Let's face it, there's only two ways we are seeing a by election, either Benton resigns pretty sharpish or the general election isn't held until the autumn, which is starting to look less and less likely.

I don’t agree with the last bit of that sentence. Just because a lot of people are getting frantically and absurdly deranged about the meltdown of the incumbent government and the perceived weakness of Rishi Sunak or the apocalyptically vomboolious practicalities of the Rŵanda policy, it doesn’t therefore somehow suddenly mean that the general election is going to be in May instead of October. When an incumbent government is behind in the polls in the approach to an election, it is always better to hang on a bit longer in the hope that the situation will improve and that the polls will tighten.

[doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️]

Dec 14, 2023 21:03:41 GMT Wisconsin said:

Could you rename the thread (Potential recall petition/by-election) for the time being? There’s a (mild) jumping of the gun here.

Dec 14, 2023 22:53:08 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

The recall petition is still only a "potential" but it's as near to a political certainty as it's possible to get - if Boris Johnson couldn't avoid one for Owen Paterson, Rishi Sunak is hardly likely to give himself a massive self-inflicted wound by trying to save Scott Benton. Especially as the evidence of wrongdoing is proved to the hilt.

But we don't know the dates. There are only two sitting days left before the Christmas recess so presumably the report and suspension won't be voted on until January. Allow a further fortnight plus a six week recall petition window brings us to mid March. Assuming the petition is successful (which is highly likely), the byelection will not happen in the event of a May general election.

I've done so, though fully acknowledge David's points.

[The Bishop]

Dec 15, 2023 0:57:20 GMT johnloony said:

Dec 15, 2023 0:14:32 GMT peterl said:

Let's face it, there's only two ways we are seeing a by election, either Benton resigns pretty sharpish or the general election isn't held until the autumn, which is starting to look less and less likely.

I don’t agree with the last bit of that sentence. Just because a lot of people are getting frantically and absurdly deranged about the meltdown of the incumbent government and the perceived weakness of Rishi Sunak or the apocalyptically vomboolious practicalities of the Rŵanda policy, it doesn’t therefore somehow suddenly mean that the general election is going to be in May instead of October. When an incumbent government is behind in the polls in the approach to an election, it is always better to hang on a bit longer in the hope that the situation will improve and that the polls will tighten.

I have seen quite a few comments recently along the lines that Sunak will be "forced" to have a GE in May or earlier - that isn't how it works. Legal term limits aside, literally the only thing that can "force" a government to go to the polls when it does not want to is losing a vote of confidence. If we get the next election in the first half of 2024, that will be because the Tories have chosen to have it then.

[Wisconsin]

Dec 15, 2023 4:34:58 GMT doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ said:

Dec 14, 2023 21:03:41 GMT Wisconsin said:

Could you rename the thread (Potential recall petition/by-election) for the time being? There’s a (mild) jumping of the gun here.

Dec 14, 2023 22:53:08 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

The recall petition is still only a "potential" but it's as near to a political certainty as it's possible to get - if Boris Johnson couldn't avoid one for Owen Paterson, Rishi Sunak is hardly likely to give himself a massive self-inflicted wound by trying to save Scott Benton. Especially as the evidence of wrongdoing is proved to the hilt.

But we don't know the dates. There are only two sitting days left before the Christmas recess so presumably the report and suspension won't be voted on until January. Allow a further fortnight plus a six week recall petition window brings us to mid March. Assuming the petition is successful (which is highly likely), the byelection will not happen in the event of a May general election.

I've done so, though fully acknowledge David's points.

In hindsight, I should have written (admittedly very mild) rather than (mild).

[doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️]

As mentioned elsewhere, it looks very much like "potential" will be doing a lot of work. This from BBC News

MP Scott Benton says he will appeal against a proposed 35-day suspension from the House of Commons, after he was found to have breached standards rules.

A report by the Commons Standards Committee said he had given the message he was "corrupt and 'for sale'" in a meeting with undercover reporters posing as gambling industry investors.

Mr Benton said the inquiry was "anything but fair and transparent".

The MP for Blackpool South has said he does not believe he broke any rules.

He was suspended as a Conservative MP in April, after the Times newspaper published its story on the meeting, and he currently sits as an independent.

If MPs approve the suspension it could lead to a by-election in Mr Benton's constituency.

The committee's report, which was published on Thursday, said that in the meeting Mr Benton had suggested he could lobby ministers, set up meetings with government advisers, table parliamentary questions and provide access to confidential documents.

It said his comments suggested he would be willing to breach Commons rules in return for payment from the company, which turned out to be fake, as well as giving the impression that other MPs had disregarded the rules in the past.

The report concluded this was "a very serious breach" of rules which require MPs not to do anything that causes significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the Commons.

Potential by-election as MP faces suspension
Benton tells how MPs get round hospitality rules
In a statement, Mr Benton said: "Time and time again, this process has demonstrated itself to me to be anything but fair and transparent."

The MP said he had been "sworn to secrecy" by the committee during the process and was only allowed to see its judgement an hour before it was published.

However, he said details of the report were leaked to a journalist before they were made public, while other information was also leaked during the investigation.

"This process is designed to be open, fair, honest and transparent so the public and MPs can have trust in the process," he said.

"This trust has been breached by members of the committee. I can't have faith in a standards process that doesn't adhere to its own ethics, standards and principles."

He said the committee's decision was "heavily influenced" by an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which he said "makes several pivotal statements that are completely factually inaccurate".

In a letter to the committee published alongside its report, Mr Benton insisted he did not suggest other MPs would be willing to breach or circumvent rules or that he had previously done so himself.

He stressed that he had not agreed to undertake any activity that would breach rules during the meeting, which was secretly filmed.

He added that he did not have any further communications with the fictitious company following the meeting because during the conversation "it became apparent that the opportunity was a non-starter as it would not be compliant with the rules".

Mr Benton said he would be submitting a formal complaint to the Commons authorities, as well as appealing the committee's decision through the Independent Expert Panel (IEP).

He added: "I will happily fully submit myself to a process that considers the actual facts in my case, and which relies on indisputable evidence."

A Standards Committee spokesperson said MPs found to have breached the Code of Conduct had a right to appeal to the IEP, which is independent of the committee.

Unlike the cross-party Standards Committee, the IEP is made up only of experts and does not include any MPs.

Any proposed suspension must be approved by MPs in a Commons vote, which would only take place after an appeal process has concluded.

A suspension of more than 10 days triggers a recall petition, with a by-election called if more than 10% of eligible voters in the constituency sign it.

Mr Benton's Blackpool South seat has a majority of 3,690 and was held by Labour between 1997 and 2019.

[The Bishop]

What if anything is happening with this one?

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Jan 19, 2024 12:04:42 GMT The Bishop said:

What if anything is happening with this one?

Scott Benton's appeal is still before the Independent Expert Panel. There have been three previous appeals.

• Andrew Bridgen's report was published on 3 November 2022 and the appeal was decided on 20 December 2022
• Margaret Ferrier's report was published on 30 March 2023 and the appeal was decided on 22 May 2023
• Christopher Pincher's report was published on 6 July 2023 and the appeal was decided on 4 September 2023

[evergreenadam]

Jan 19, 2024 12:18:57 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Jan 19, 2024 12:04:42 GMT The Bishop said:

What if anything is happening with this one?

Scott Benton's appeal is still before the Independent Expert Panel. There have been three previous appeals.

• Andrew Bridgen's report was published on 3 November 2022 and the appeal was decided on 20 December 2022
• Margaret Ferrier's report was published on 30 March 2023 and the appeal was decided on 22 May 2023
• Christopher Pincher's report was published on 6 July 2023 and the appeal was decided on 4 September 2023

So taking account of the Christmas period, we might know the result of the appeal in mid February.

[evergreenadam]

Jan 28, 2024 20:03:05 GMT evergreenadam said:

Jan 19, 2024 12:18:57 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Scott Benton's appeal is still before the Independent Expert Panel. There have been three previous appeals.

• Andrew Bridgen's report was published on 3 November 2022 and the appeal was decided on 20 December 2022
• Margaret Ferrier's report was published on 30 March 2023 and the appeal was decided on 22 May 2023
• Christopher Pincher's report was published on 6 July 2023 and the appeal was decided on 4 September 2023

So taking account of the Christmas period, we might know the result of the appeal in mid February.

Must be getting close to it by now.

[The Bishop]

Maybe next week?

Assuming the appeal is rejected and then a petition passes, that could mean a byelection to coincide with the May polls if there isn't a GE called for that date.

[doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️]

This could be the Wirral South of 2024.

[YL]

Feb 16, 2024 11:04:28 GMT The Bishop said:

Maybe next week?

Assuming the appeal is rejected and then a petition passes, that could mean a byelection to coincide with the May polls if there isn't a GE called for that date.

I don’t think so. IIRC it takes a couple of weeks to set everything up and then the petition has to be open for six weeks, so even if things happen extremely quickly the result of a petition won’t be known until mid April. I think we’re talking June, and that might be late enough that they’d try to get away with leaving the seat vacant until the dissolution.

[batman]

More likely an opposition party, probably Labour, would move the writ if they try that.

[The Bishop]

Yeah, if the Tories don't call a May election this one is likely happening.