Scott Benton MP suspended by Tories after gambling controversy
The UK Conservative Party Whip, Scott Benton, has been suspended following a newspaper sting conducted by The Times, in which he appeared willing to leak sensitive information and ask questions in Parliament at the behest of gambling lobbyists.
The investigation by the British publication caught Benton on camera indicating that he would be willing to accept between £2,000/£4,000 ($2,400-$4,900) a month for two days of work – where he’d support the agenda of the bogus company.
Rules in the UK Commons prohibit ministers from advocating issues in return for payment; however, Benton met with undercover reporters to discuss what it would take for him to raise the issues on the fake company’s behalf.
Following the revelation, Benton was suspended from the Conservative Party amid an outcry from his peers and the public.
The up-and-coming gambling White Paper, which much of the industry is waiting on tenterhooks for, was offered two days in advance of official publication by Benton – thereby allowing the interested party sensitive information that it could unfairly benefit from.
An investigation by the party into Benton is now underway after he self-referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
The opposition parties have denounced Benton’s actions and called for the Tories to take further action, with the Labour Party stating: “Yet again, we see Rishi Sunak’s weakness. Instead of acting right away, he waited until Scott Benton referred himself to the commissioner. No wonder Tory MPs think they can get away with blue murder.”
The incident has put a further spotlight on the gambling industry in the UK as the long-awaited governmental White Paper gets closer to being published, with lobbyists pushing to know what will happen going forward and what regulations will be recommended.
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