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Rishi Sunak is braced for another byelection after former Tory MP Scott Benton was suspended from the Commons for 35 days over his role in a lobbying sting.
MPs approved the suspension of the Blackpool South MP on Tuesday evening without the need for a vote.
He had the Tory whip removed in April 2023 after suggesting to undercover reporters at the Times that he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money.
Benton had offered to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry and leak a confidential policy document for up to £4,000 a month.
A subsequent investigation by parliament’s standards committee found he had committed a “very serious breach” of the rules and recommended a 35-day suspension from the Commons.
He will now face a recall petition in his constituency, which could lead to a byelection if 10% of constituents sign it.
Benton denied wrongdoing and appealed against the suspension to the independent expert panel (IEP), the body that sits above the standards committee. Last week, the former Conservative MP lost his appeal against the suspension.
MPs approved the suspension of the Blackpool South MP on Tuesday evening without the need for a vote.
He had the Tory whip removed in April 2023 after suggesting to undercover reporters at the Times that he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money.
Benton had offered to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry and leak a confidential policy document for up to £4,000 a month.
A subsequent investigation by parliament’s standards committee found he had committed a “very serious breach” of the rules and recommended a 35-day suspension from the Commons.
He will now face a recall petition in his constituency, which could lead to a byelection if 10% of constituents sign it.
Benton denied wrongdoing and appealed against the suspension to the independent expert panel (IEP), the body that sits above the standards committee. Last week, the former Conservative MP lost his appeal against the suspension.
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Matt Chapman was all over this when it happened sparrow!!!
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Yes but only today was the suspension announced which might lead o the By election.
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.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/27/rishi-sunak-faces-fresh-byelection-as-former-tory-mp-suspended
another uncited copy and paste jobbie. |
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Labour MP received £500,000 in funding from Chinese Communist agent
Barry Gardiner said he kept security services fully informed, after MI5 warned MPs they are being targeted by Beijing. LABOUR MP BARRY GARDINER (DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA) PA ARCHIVE GAVIN CORDON 13 JANUARY 2022 A senior Labour MP received more than £500,000 from a Chinese agent engaged in “political interference activities” in the UK on behalf of the communist regime, it has emerged. Barry Gardiner received the donations from Christine Ching Kui Lee – mainly to cover staffing costs in his office – over a period of six years, and employed her son as his diary manager. The disclosures came after MI5 took the rare step of issuing MPs and peers with a warning about Lee’s cultivating of British politicians to secure a “UK political landscape” that was “favourable” to China. I realise this is whataboutery but it demonstrates how twisted the system is now. A cool half a million off a Chinese communinst. Sure, carry on son. Fall for journalist entrapment in a fake set up. You're out. May as well be Russia. |
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Cameron has been embroiled in the biggest lobbying scandal for a generation after it emerged that he had lobbied Treasury ministers — including chancellor Rishi Sunak — and Downing Street officials to try to change rules around Covid-19 loan schemes to benefit Greensill early last year. .https://www.ft.com/content/f0276e21-f124-41b3-b29a-455ed6717b94 Don't worry Dave, you can walk straight back into cabinet... |
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David Cameron made about $10m (£7m) from Greensill Capital before the finance company collapsed, documents obtained by BBC Panorama suggest.
The documents indicate the former prime minister received $4.5m after cashing in Greensill shares in 2019. Greensill, which made its money by lending to businesses, went into administration in March, leaving investors facing billions in losses. Mr Cameron's spokesman said his remuneration was a private matter. |
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.https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58149765
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Cider is crying again as he spots an article from The Guardian. He gets sillier by the day.
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If you're copying and pasting from an extremely biased outlet (with zero input of your own), cite the source. Not difficult.
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Who do you think you are telling me what to do or what not do?
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I can tell you whatever I like, within forum rules obs. I think I'm a forumite seeing another forumite continually posting from extremely biased sources without citing them, and not writing anything of their own as part of the OP. You can do whatever you like, but if I see it I will keep calling it out.
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Good man Cider, much appreciated
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Sir Epicure Gammon arrives to show his support for the Tory boys.
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Former Conservative MP Scott Benton has resigned, setting up a by-election to replace him in his Blackpool South constituency
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68658896 |