Scott Benton recall petition launched

Eight signing stations will be open from today until 22nd April for residents in Blackpool South to sign a petition to remove Scott Benton from his seat as MP.

Benton is currently suspended for 35 days after he offered to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry. If 10 per cent of voters sign the recall petition it will trigger a by-election in Blackpool South, likely in June.

Residents can sign the petition at: the Salvation Army; Blackpool Sports Centre; Revoe Library; Molyneux Community Centre (off Lennox Gate, South Shore); The Solaris Centre; Bostonway Community Centre (Marton); Tarnside Community Centre (Mereside); and Aysgarth Community Centre (off Highfield Road).

Signing stations will be open from 8am to 5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; Tuesdays 8am-5pm; and Thursdays 9am-8pm. They will be closed due to bank holidays on Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April.

Benton was caught in an undercover newspaper sting and the Committee on Standards concluded that his breach was “extremely serious”. His behaviour suggested not only that he was “for sale” but that so too were “many other members of the house”. This caused significant damage to the reputation of the integrity of the House and its members, the committee said.

A suspension of just 10 days would have been enough to trigger a by-election in Blackpool under the Recall of MPs Act 2015 – and Benton has been handed 35. Now Blackpool South can prepare to head to the polls.

First voters will need to sign the recall petition. The petition, which launches today, will be open for six weeks and 10 per cent of constituents must sign in person or by post. If that threshold is reached, the Speaker of the House of Commons will be informed and the seat for Blackpool South will become vacant. When Brecon and Radnorshire Conservative MP Chris Davies fiddled his expenses in 2019, 19 per cent of electors wanted him gone.

Blackpool South residents deserve the chance to vote for a new Member of Parliament who will prioritise the needs of the people, not their own pockets.

Last February Benton fell out with local Conservatives who signed a letter of no confidence in him. Then in April, following the Times lobbying sting, he lost the confidence of his colleagues in Westminster, and had the Tory whip suspended. The Committee on Standards report was the third indicator of failing confidence in Benton followed by an Independent Expert Panel who threw out the MPs suspension appeal. Now the recall petition marks an opportunity for the MP’s constituents to demonstrate whether they have lost confidence in Benton’s ability to represent Blackpool South.

A minimum of 5,629 Blackpool South voters must sign the petition in order to remove Benton from his role. To sign you must be 18+, a registered voter in Blackpool South constituency, and must take ID with you. Anyone registering to vote now will not be allowed to sign the petition but will be able to vote in a by-election. You can register to vote here.

You can also sign the petition via post or by proxy – allowing someone else to attend on your behalf – but applications to do so must be received by the 5th April. To register for a postal vote click here and to register for a proxy vote click here. Those already registered will receive the necessary documentation automatically.

Blackpool-born Chris Webb, the Labour candidate for Blackpool South, urged the public to exercise their power and sign the recall petition in the coming weeks. On his social media he said that Benton’s very serious breach of rules “exposes a dangerous willingness to prioritise personal gain over public interest.

“Blackpool South residents deserve the chance to vote for a new Member of Parliament who will prioritise the needs of the people, not their own pockets,” he added.

For more information on how to sign the petition visit the council website here.