Scott Benton, the MP for Blackpool South, has been caught in a Sting Operation indicating that he would be willing to break parliamentary lobbying rules in exchange for money.
Benton offered to table written questions which offered an ‘instant response’ and stated he had direct access to ministers ‘two or three times per day’ – services he agreed that no one outside the political realm had access to. The MP also guaranteed he could leak the upcoming gambling white paper 48 hours before its publication. This occurred during a meeting in Central London with undercover reporters from The Times posing as investors with interests in the betting and gaming industry who were seeking an adviser.
When discussing compensation for this special access, Scott Benton agreed that a figure of £2,000 to £4,000 per month would be appropriate for his services.
Scott Benton has since released an official statement about the incident:
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.
The video of the incident can be found on The Times (behind the paywall)
4 Responses
Just heard Benton has been suspended from parliament.
Although he will no doubt try to wriggle his way out of the trouble he’s in.
The usual dodgy dealings.
It’s what all Conservatives do.
This an excellent result.
Fingers crossed that’s the end of him.
The standard of our MP’s sinks lower and lower by the day.
Neither main parties deserve our vote.
Seen Benton on Parliament TV several times, he came over as immature, and out of his depth, Not surprised he’s got himself into hot water,
It say’s a lot about the people the people who selected him,
I have long since been blocked from commenting on Scot Benton’s Social Media, I was constantly aware that his posts were full of lies and consistently aimed at patting himself
On the back! He pops up all over Blackpool with his entourage of employees, taking their selfies, claiming to be chatting with residents ( no pictures of those?) when he sees me coming he makes a swift get away. I am very please that he has been exposed for what he really is. If the Tories don’t kick him out permanently then they are condoning his behaviour and accepting it as the norm.