A by-election results from the resignation of former Tory MP Scott Benton from parliament.
Another by-election will be necessary as a result of a former Tory MP who stated he was leaving the house. The MP faced the possibility of losing his seat to voters.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent our wonderful Blackpool community in parliament over the last four years,” stated Blackpool South representative Scott Benton.”It’s with a heavy heart that I have written to the chancellor this morning to tender my resignation as your MP,” he said in an article on X.
If Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calls a general election sooner—which is doubtful given that he ruled out having an election on May 2 and stated he is still targeting the second half of the year—his resignation will set off a by-election.According to Sky News, the by-election will take place after MPs are asked if they support it; this might happen as soon as tomorrow. This implies that the competition might take place on May 2, the day of the local elections.
With a narrow majority of 3,690 votes, Mr. Benton was elected to the Blackpool South seat in 2019, and Labour would like to reclaim it in a by-election.
This constituency is in the category of “red wall” seats, which are historically Labour districts that voted for Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in 2019.A recall petition against Mr. Benton was set to finish on April 22nd, following his 35-day suspension from the Commons for his involvement in a lobbying sting.
Without having to cast a vote, MPs last month accepted the suspension.
If 10% of Mr. Benton’s voters had signed the recall petition that was created in response to his suspension, the independent senator could have been voted out of office.
Rather than wait for the conclusion of the petition, he has suddenly stated that he will resign from parliament.
Following his suggestion to undercover reporters at The Times that he would be willing to flout lobbying regulations for money, the departing MP had the Tory whip revoked in April of last year.He was deemed to have broken the rules in a “very serious breach” by the Standards Committee of parliament, which also suggested a 35-day ban from the Commons.
The Independent Expert Panel, which is seated above the committee, rejected Mr. Benton’s appeal of the verdict.Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow paymaster general, told broadcasters that the MP ought to have quit “much sooner” and that “there is complete chaos in the Tory party right now.” a split party, with Rishi Sunak at the helm and divisions running deep.
“This by-election must take place as quickly as possible. In order to elect a Labour MP who can represent the people of Blackpool in the House of Commons, the Tories should relocate the writ.The by-election, which comes after the most recent one in Rochdale, which was won by left-wing firebrand George Galloway last month, will be the 23rd race in this parliament.
After rumors circulated earlier this month that he would decide to organize an early election, Mr. Sunak officially ruled out hosting a general election on May 2.
Although he had not yet ruled out a May date, the prime minister had earlier stated that it was his “working assumption” that an election would take place in the second half of this year.
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