London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026

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
Education or Indoctrination? The Growing Debate Over Religious Participation in British Schools
Germany's Vanishing Shopfronts: The Silent Collapse of the Businesses That Built Its Cities
Transport for London Unveils Expanded Zero-Emission Bus Fleet to Meet Capital Air Quality Targets
Higher Education Institutions Face Deepening Financial Strain Amid Declining International Student Enrolment
Automotive Industry Leaders Criticize Government Tax Policies and Urge Action on Retail Consumer Confidence
Environment Agency Issues Flood Alerts Across Scottish and English Waterways Following Heavy Rainfall
Independent Audit Highlights Persistent Security Vulnerabilities Across Legacy Government Digital Portals
Northern Ireland Political Leaders Clash Over Westminster Funding Allocations Ahead of Autumn Budget
Ethnic Minorities in England Face Significant Disparities in Routine Breast Cancer Diagnosis Rates
National Police Chiefs Report Alarming Surge in Domestic Abuse Cases Fuelled by Expanding Illegal Cocaine Market
Government Announces Two Hundred and Twenty Million Pound Pothole Funding Boost for Local Highway Authorities
China Issues Formal Warning Over Potential United Kingdom Restrictions on Chinese Electric Vehicles
British Defence Ministers Sign E5 Pact to Enhance European Military Capabilities and Industrial Cooperation Within NATO
United Kingdom Business Activity Expands at Fastest Pace in Eight Months According to S&P Global Flash Survey
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Major Devolution Package and Bank Profit Surcharge Ahead of Upcoming Autumn Budget
National Health Service Consultants in England Announce Two-Day Strike Action Scheduled for November
Major Clean-Up Under Way Across Britain Following Destruction Caused by Consecutive Storms Austen and Boelo
KEY TRENDS TO WATCH
Declassified Intelligence Files Reveal British Security Services Monitored National Health Service Founder
British Government Launches Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown on High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Scottish National Party Demands Ban on Using Scottish Revenues to Fund English Nuclear Energy Projects
Mayor of London Initiates Landmark Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street to Revitalise Global Retail Hub
British Judges Granted Expanded Legal Powers to Punish Convicted Killers Who Refuse to Attend Sentencing
United Kingdom Poised to Miss Reduced International Aid Spending Targets Ahead of Fiscal Review
Surging Cocaine Consumption Drives Record Drug Fatalities and Rising Crime Rates Across Britain
Department of Health and Social Care Announces One Hundred and Forty Million Pound Boost for Urgent Care
British Services Sector Records Strongest Growth in Eight Months Despite Broader Economic Uncertainty
United Kingdom Retail Sales Suffer Unexpected Decline as Consumer Confidence Plummets
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham Urges National Debate on Restoring European Union Free Movement
Deep Cabinet Divisions Emerge Over Controversial Approval of North Sea Fossil Fuel Projects
United Kingdom Government Urges Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies in National Resilience Pivot
Storm Boelo Kills Two People and Cuts Power to Tens of Thousands Across Great Britain
Critical Software Flaw Forces Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Offline Amid Mass Security Warnings
UK Consumer Confidence Tumbles Amid Rising Energy Costs and Global Commodity Price Pressures
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Production from Jackdaw Gas Field to Bolster Domestic Energy Security
Storm Boelo Leaves Tens of Thousands of Households Without Power Across Scotland and Northern Ireland
UK Government Launches National Be Ready Campaign Urging Households to Prepare Three Days of Emergency Supplies
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Water Quality Regulations for British Rivers
Welsh Government Launches Major Renewable Energy Initiative to Expand Offshore Wind Capacity Along the Coast
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Agreement on Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Modernization Plan
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Increase in British Retail Sales Driven by Autumn Discounts
Scottish First Minister Announces Emergency Housing Strategy to Tackle Severe Homelessness Across Urban Centers
Automotive Industry Leaders in the United Kingdom Urge Government Support for Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Transition
United Kingdom and European Union Initiate High-Level Negotiations on Post-Brexit Defense and Security Pact
National Health Service England Introduces Sweeping Digital Reforms to Reduce Hospital Waiting Lists Nationwide
Chancellor of the Exchequer Outlines Emergency Fiscal Measures to Address Local Government Funding Crises Across England
Bank of England Governor Warns of Persistent Inflation Pressures Impacting Interest Rate Decisions in the United Kingdom
UK Conservative Party Suspends Former Electoral Candidate Following Undercover Investigation
Actors and Writers Condemn British Anti Terror Legislation Targeting Activist Groups and Free Speech
Central Bank and Treasury Monitor Inflation Risks as International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast
×