Blackpool South MP Scott Benton is set to be suspended from the Commons for 35 days after his appeal against the Standards Committee’s decision was dismissed by an independent panel.

Scott Benton will be given the 35 day recommended suspension after an independent panel dismissed his appeal. Following his suspension decision, a recall petition will be triggered in his constituency for a potential by-election.

Benton was caught by the Times in April 2023, offering to lobby ministers and table parliamentary questions on behalf of gambling investors. Footage also showed him allegedly boasting there were ways to keep corporate hospitality secret.

He appeared to suggest MPs allow companies to put a falsely low value on tickets they have accepted for live sports and cultural events, in order to avoid the requirement to disclose hospitality worth £300 or more. The Commons standard watchdog recommended a 35 day suspension but Benton appealed the decision, saying his actions were an “extremely serious breach.”