A Member of Parliament has been suspended after offering services that breached legal lobbying regulations.
With a scandalous breach of public trust, UK MP Scott Benton has been removed from his post as Conservative Party whip amid an ongoing investigation. The Times uncovered footage showing the Member of Parliament’s striking agreement to illegally leak market sensitive information and pose parliamentary questions in exchange for compensation. His actions have become emblematic of a larger issue: unacceptable misconduct by our elected officials that put their own interests ahead of those whom they are meant to serve – constituents everywhere across Britain.
In a shocking breach of Parliamentary rules, an MP was caught on camera in March offering to advocate for gambling reforms that would have benefitted those willing to pay him. This is strictly forbidden under the regulations which forbid MPs from receiving any form of payment or support when it comes lobbying ministers and influencing parliamentary processes.
In addition to his blatant breach of law, Mr. Benton further inflamed suspicions by pledging access to the highly sought after gambling White Paper – a move that would give him and others unfair economic perks while threatening market stability. To top it off, he threatened Parliament with written questioning from another company in an apparent attempt manipulate regulations for personal gain.
The Blackpool South MP, Mr. Benton is being probed by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards as it appears his actions have caused significant damage to both the House’s reputation and its Members’ generally. On top of this, he has been accused of misusing his official Parliamentary email address – all without comment on these new investigations from himself or any other party involved yet. Previously however, he did agree a fee ranging between £2-4k per month in exchange for two days work; offering members direct contact with him “in person outside voting lobbies”.