A Blackpool South Member of Parliament, who was filmed while offering to lobby for the gambling industry in return for money, is now facing a second probe by the standards watchdog of the Parliament.
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, Scott Benton had the Conservative Party whip suspended earlier in April after undercover footage exposed him to have offered to lobby for the gambling sector in Parliament after being offered a paid advisory role. The undercover footage also revealed that Mr Benton was willing to provide sensitive information to a bogus investment fund and raise some questions in Parliament on its behalf.
Currently, Members of Parliament are not allowed to lobby in return for payment under Parliamentary rules.
According to the website of the Commons standards watchdog, at the time of writing, Mr Benton is facing a probe for actions that have caused massive damage to the House’s reputation as a whole, and its Members, in general. The lawmaker, who is now sitting as an independent Member of Parliament after getting suspended from the Conservative parliamentary party, has still not commented on the second investigation.
The first probe into Scott Benton MP’s use of his parliamentary email address was opened a fortnight ago by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg.
Benton Said to Be Able to Leak a Copy of the UK Government’s White Paper on Gambling
About two weeks ago, following an undercover investigation, The Times unveiled that the then-Conservative Party member offered to table parliamentary questions, lobby ministers on behalf of investors in the UK gambling industry, and even leak confidential policy information and documents in return for money.
Scott Benson MP was secretly filmed by undercover reporters who posed as gambling industry investors looking for an adviser. As the investigation of The Times found, during a meeting that took place at a hotel in central London in March 2023, Mr Benton confirmed he was ready to use his position to help them and try to weaken the planned UK Government’s gambling reforms.
Apart from offering to submit parliamentary questions (something he claimed he had already done on behalf of companies) and lobby in favour of the sector, Mr Benson also guaranteed he was able to leak a copy of the UK Government’s forthcoming White Paper on gambling no less than 48 hours before it was officially announced – a move that would potentially allow gambling companies take advantage of market-sensitive information. The now-independent Member of Parliament also claimed that many of his fellow lawmakers who accepted corporate hospitality were willing to table a written question or make a point on behalf of the sector.
The proposed actions could be categorised as a violation of the longstanding parliamentary rules under which so-called “paid advocacy” is not permitted. The investigation is now aimed at finding out whether Mr Benson’s proposed actions openly disregarded the new restrictions on the provision of parliamentary advice that came into effect only a few days before his meeting with the fake gambling industry investors took place.
- Author
Daniel Williams
