Blackpool MP suspended by Tories hopes to regain whip and stand again

An MP who was suspended by the Tories after he was filmed offering to lobby ministers for a fake firm has said he hopes to stand for the party again in the next general election.

Blackpool South's Scott Benton has sat as an independent since referring himself to Parliament's standards watchdog over claims in the Times.

He said that investigation would "reach a natural conclusion" soon.

He added that he believed he would be exonerated and regain the party whip.

The MP was secretly filmed by undercover reporters saying he could table parliamentary questions and leak a confidential policy paper.

The newspaper said he was offered a paid advisory role by reporters posing as gambling industry investors.

He did not pursue the role and no rules appear to have been broken.

Mr Benton referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which investigates allegations about breaches of the MP's code of conduct, after the story was published.

The MP, who has represented Blackpool South since 2019, said the process had been "going on for eight months or so now and I think that will reach a natural conclusion sometime relatively shortly".

He said his ambition was to regain the party whip and stand for the Conservatives again.

"I've got a pretty strong record at working with the government and stakeholders locally to not just bring in additional funding from government, but to actually see the benefits on the ground," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"That is a record I will be standing on at the next election and obviously I hope to stand as a Conservative candidate," he added.

The BBC has contacted the Conservative party for comment.

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