London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

MP Scott Benton claims ways around hospitality rules

MP Scott Benton claims ways around hospitality rules

Scott Benton has been filmed by undercover reporters appearing to explain how companies and MPs can avoid registering corporate hospitality.
The MP was suspended by the Tory Party after The Times published a video of him offering to lobby for a fake firm.

In a fresh story on the same meeting, he appears to suggest that firms can put falsely low values on tickets they offer for live sports and other events.

Commons rules require MPs to disclose hospitality worth £300 or more.

Mr Benton joked racing tickets he had accepted often came to £295.

The Blackpool South MP, who chairs an all-party group with links to the gambling industry, has declared only one race meeting since he was elected in 2019.

This was a visit to Ascot in 2021 worth £1,400, funded by the Betting and Gaming Council, an industry lobbying group.

Speaking to the undercover reporters, who were posing as investors in the gambling industry, he said: "A lot of companies try to be quite cute about the level of the hospitality to make sure it falls just under [£300], so people don't have to declare it.

"It normally works for the company, and it normally works for MPs as well.

"Without saying too much, you'd be amazed at the number of times I've been to races and the ticket comes to £295," he was filmed saying, and laughing.

The MPs' code of conduct says members must register gifts, benefits or hospitality "with a value of over £300 which they receive form a UK source".

The BBC has not seen the full, unedited video of Mr Benton's meeting with the reporters. He has been approached for fresh comment.

According to the Times - but not in its video posted online - he also told its reporters: "I probably shouldn't say this, but essentially all MPs are looking for is an email chain saying this is how much a ticket cost, so if we get caught out it's like, well the company told me it cost this much.

"And essentially what you [the company] paid for is nobody else's business."

Mr Benton is also said by the paper to have suggested MPs can help companies who give them hospitality.

"Most would, especially if the ask wasn't too onerous, which would be 'Can you try and find out X, Y and Z from members of staff, file a parliamentary question, or submit this question next time oral questions come up in the House of Commons".

This section also does not appear in the video posted online.

Mr Benton was suspended as a Tory MP after referring himself to the parliamentary standards commissioner on Wednesday.

This followed a Times report that he was offered a paid advisory role by the undercover reporters.

He did not pursue the role and no specific rules appear to have been broken, though the code of conduct says MPs should "never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its Members generally".

Mr Benton was secretly filmed saying he could table parliamentary questions and leak a confidential policy paper.

Some MPs have declared hospitality under £300 - including Tory backbencher Peter Bone and Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell.

Mr Benton has not declared any hospitality provided by gambling companies in the past year. He has declared £700 worth of hospitality for the Championship play-off final from the English Football League.

MPs and members of the House of Lords routinely accept gifts and hospitality from companies, individuals, charities and other organisations.

This is not against the rules, provided they declare it in the register of members interests.

The gambling industry is one of the biggest spenders on corporate hospitality at Westminster.

According to BBC analysis, MPs have accepted at least £51,000 from gambling companies over the past year.

In all but one case, this was through donations of tickets and hospitality to events including sports events and concerts. MPs attended concerts by Ed Sheeran and Adele, a Championship playoff match at Wembley, and Cheltenham Races for free.

The donations were declared by 22 Conservative MPs, 13 Labour MPs and one independent.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×