Rishi Sunak faces another by-election headache after former Tory MP Scott Benton was suspended from the Commons.
MPs approved the suspension of Mr Benton from the Commons for 35 days meaning he now faced a recall petition in his constituency of Blackpool South.
Mr Benton had the Tory whip removed last April after suggesting to undercover reporters that he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money.
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.
Mr Benton denied wrongdoing and appealed the suspension to the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), the body that sits above the Standards Committee.
But in a ruling earlier this month, the IEP said they “found no substance” in his arguments and dismissed the appeal.
If 10% of his constituents sign the petition, then a by-election will be triggered in his seat.
It would take the number of by-elections held under Mr Sunak’s time as prime minister to 11.
Seven MPs have already received suspensions of more than 10 days since the last election in 2019, although only two have faced recall petitions.
A lengthy process saw Margaret Ferrier become the first MP of the current Parliament to be subject to a recall petition after she was suspended from the Commons for 30 days for bringing the House into disrepute.
Ms Ferrier had previously been found guilty of breaching pandemic regulations in September 2020 by travelling from London to Scotland by train despite testing positive for Covid-19.
Following her conviction in August 2022, the Standards Committee recommended she be suspended, triggering a recall petition that eventually saw almost 15% of her constituents demand a by-election. She did not stand in the subsequent contest, which was won by Labour’s Michael Shanks.
Veteran Conserative MP Peter Bone was the subject of the 2019 Parliament’s second successful recall petition after he was suspended for six weeks for bullying and exposing himself to a member of his staff.
Mr Bone was suspended from the party following publication of the report in October 2023, but remained an MP until the recall petition was complete.
His partner, Helen Harrison, contested the subsequent Wellingborough by-election for the Conservatives, but was defeated by Labour’s Gen Kitchen.
