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'''Scott Lloyd Benton''' (born {{Date|1 July 1987}}) is a former British politician who was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Blackpool South (UK Parliament constituency)|Blackpool South]] from the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]] until his resignation in March 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 March 2024 |title=Scott Benton resigns as MP, paving way for Blackpool by-election |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/scott-benton-resigns-mp-paving-152243653.html |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-GB}}</ref> A member of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], he was previously also a councillor on [[Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council]] and a primary school teacher.
In April 2023 Benton had the [[Whip (politics)|whip]] removed after he had offered to reporters, posing as investors, that he would [[Lobbying|lobby ministers]] in return for payments. A parliamentary investigation concluded that he had breached lobbying rules and recommended a 35-day suspension from the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], triggering [[2024 Blackpool South by-election|a recall petition]]. Benton's subsequent resignation as an MP prompted [[2024 Blackpool South by-election|a by-election]] on
== Early life and education ==
Benton was born on {{Date|1 July 1987}} in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], Wales, to Alan and Krystina Benton.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=109|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Limited |oclc=1129682574}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Benton, Scott Lloyd, (born 1 July 1987), MP (C) Blackpool South, since 2019 |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-293926 |access-date=5 May 2021 |website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO |year=2020 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u293926 |isbn=978-0-19-954088-4}}</ref> He grew up in [[Rastrick]], West Yorkshire, and attended [[Rastrick High School]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.brighouseecho.co.uk/news/tories-optfor-newapproachin-benton-2804436 |work=Brighouse Echo |title=Tories opt for 'new approach' in Benton |date=13 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717075837/https://www.brighouseecho.co.uk/news/tories-optfor-newapproachin-benton-2804436 |archive-date=17 July 2021 |access-date=14 October 2022}}</ref> Benton then studied Theology as an undergraduate at the [[University of Nottingham]] and was awarded a [[British undergraduate degree classification|first class]] Bachelor of Arts degree. He later completed a Master of Arts degree in the subject,<ref name=":0" /> specialising in the [[Old Testament]].<ref name=TRM1>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrdBj-E9RUY|title=The Real Me: Scott Benton, Conservative MP for Blackpool South, speaks to Gloria De Piero|time=00:55|date=10 March 2022|accessdate=2 October 2023|publisher=GBNews (YouTube)}}</ref> After graduating, Benton worked as a primary school teacher.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/class-of-2019-meet-the-new-mps |title=Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs |last=Bond |first=Daniel |website=politicshome.com |date=16 December 2019 |access-date=14 October 2022}}</ref>
== Political career ==
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In December 2021 Benton expressed support for the [[Capital punishment in the United Kingdom|death penalty]] in certain scenarios.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 December 2021 |title=Arthur Labinjo-Hughes case shows we need the death penalty, says Blackpool South MP Scott Benton |work=Blackpool Gazette |url=https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/politics/arthur-labinjo-hughes-case-shows-we-need-the-death-penalty-says-blackpool-south-mp-scott-benton-3487530 |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref>
On {{Date|13 June 2022}} Benton was appointed as a [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] in the [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office]] ministerial team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1084353/List_of_PPSs_-_June_2022.pdf|title=List of PPS – June 2022|accessdate=2 October 2023|publisher=gov.uk}}</ref>
Benton is anti-abortion.<ref name=":1" /> In June 2022, following the ''[[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]]'' decision of the [[US Supreme Court]] – which reversed the 1973 ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' legislation which had previously granted the right to abortion in the United States — Benton [[Twitter|retweeted]] a tweet by the [[Republican Party (United States)|US Republican Party]] celebrating the decision. Benton subsequently deleted the retweet.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.indy100.com/politics/supreme-court-roe-v-wade-2657559471 |title=Tory MP retweets then deletes tweet celebrating Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade |first=Breanna |last=Robinson |work=indy100 |date=24 June 2022 |access-date=25 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/memo-to-leftists-britain-is-not-america |title=Memo to MPs: Britain is not America |work=The Spectator |author=Steerpike |date=25 June 2022 |access-date=25 June 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
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In December 2023, a report by the [[Commons Select Committee on Standards|Commons Standards Committee]] stated that "The meeting the undercover reporters was not in any sense of Mr Benton’s seeking, and there is no evidence that he has ever sought opportunities to make improper financial gains from his position as a Member."
The report concluded, however, that his interactions with ''The Times'' were a "very serious breach" of lobbying rules and that he had given the message that "he was corrupt and 'for sale' and that so were many other Members of the House". The committee recommended that he be suspended from Parliament for 35 days.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 December 2023 |title=Suspended Tory MP Scott Benton faces 35-day Commons ban |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67714132 |access-date=14 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Scott Benton |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/42581/documents/211708/default/ |publisher=House of Commons Committee on Standards |access-date=14 December 2023 |date=14 December 2023}}</ref> In February 2024, Benton lost his appeal against the proposed suspension.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=John |date=20 February 2024 |title=Rishi Sunak faces another nightmare by-election as Scott Benton loses appeal |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/breaking-rishi-sunak-faces-another-32166165 |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=The Mirror |language=en}}</ref> MPs later voted to approve his suspension of 35 days from the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Badshah |first=Nadeem |date=27 February 2024 |title=Rishi Sunak faces fresh byelection as former Tory MP suspended |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/27/rishi-sunak-faces-fresh-byelection-as-former-tory-mp-suspended |access-date=27 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=27 February 2024 |title=Scott Benton: Lobbying scandal MP recall petition triggered |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-68419849 |access-date=27 February 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> triggering a [[2024 Blackpool South by-election|recall petition]] which, if successful, would have led to a [[by-election]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 February 2024 |title=Lobbying scandal MP loses suspension appeal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-68348594 |access-date=21 February 2024 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Badshah |first=Nadeem |date=27 February 2024 |title=Rishi Sunak faces fresh byelection as former Tory MP suspended |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/27/rishi-sunak-faces-fresh-byelection-as-former-tory-mp-suspended |access-date=28 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> On {{Date|25 March 2024}}, however, Benton tendered his resignation and ceased to be an MP when he was appointed as [[List of stewards of the Manor of Northstead|Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 March 2024 |title=Sunak facing another by-election as lobbying sting MP Scott Benton quits |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scott-benton-resign-blackpool-by-election-b2518259.html |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
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