Tories May Face By-election

Blackpool MP Scott Benton has been suspended. Benton was caught in a sting operation, by 'The Times' newspaper. Undercover Times operatives asked whether Mr. Benton would be willing to take money in exchange for breaking parliamentary rules.

A committee recommended that Mr. Benton be suspended for 35 days. So in April, Mr. Benton, was officially suspended by the Conservative Party. Simply put, the Conservative Party, followed the recommendation of this committee. With Benton, caught redhanded, by 'The Times' operatives, what else could the Tory Party do? After all, the Conservatives, are already mired in a sleaze of one sort or another, so, Benton had to be suspended.

To be fair, sleaze, corruption, wrongdoing, call it what you will, afflicts all political parties. But it seems to be connected more to the Conservative party. Whether it be the times of Margaret Thatcher, or now. This current Conservative government from Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, and Sunak has seen a lot of sleaze, corruption, and wrongdoing. I won't go into it now, but, it is out there in the public domain, should you wish to research it.

Mr. Benton's suspension could trigger a by-election, should his, constituents wish it. A suspension of more than 10 days will trigger this by-election. Again, if his constituents wish it. If a by-election, is triggered, then Sunak, will be facing a by-election, which the Tories would probably lose. So, the constituency of Blackpool, in the North West of England, in the county of Lancashire, may be due a by-election. A by-election can be triggered for many reasons, the above example is one. Another can be where a sitting MP dies or steps down. All parties, including the party that has the majority MP for that area, put up replacement candidates. Those candidates, presumably, are chosen or voted by the local Conservative, Labour, LIb-Dem, etc, memberships or committees. That candidate then goes forward for that party. That candidate goes up against other candidates, and if the voting public likes them, they get to vote for them. That candidate, then becomes, the Member of Parliament for that area, (MP).

Scott Benton, became MP for Blackpool South, in 2019, with a majority of 3,690. At that time, the Tories were on a roll, with the leadership of Boris Johnson. Brexit was the thing that won it, for the Tories, pure and simple. Since then, of course, the fortunes of the Tories, have waned. The COVID pandemic and lockdown came over the horizon like the Angel of Death. The antics of the Johnson administration over this period are what has largely made the Tories unpopular. Sunak replaced Boris, promising to be different, however, Sunak cannot distance himself from the Boris administration. He was Chancellor at the time, when all the shenanigans of the Boris administration, were going on. Sunak has lost by-election after by-election. Labour knows the Tory ship is taking on water, and like sharks, they are waiting to strike and have struck.

Sunak recently got the Rwanda plan through the House of Commons. That is to fly out illegal immigrants to Rwanda. This plan is supposed to be the key to Sunak's pledge to stop the boats. Migrant boat crossings have fallen, for what reason, who knows? Maybe they are beginning to realize the UK is not a land flowing with milk and honey after all. Maybe, it is the moves, of the government to act and be tough with migrants. However, the Rwanda plan still has its detractors and its supporters. Sunak has won a Pyrrhic victory, for now, (check your Roman history - Pyrrhic). Those right-wing backbenchers who think the Rwanda plan doesn't go far enough are calling a Christmas truce for now. Those who oppose the plan, are also doing the same. However, in the New Year, those who oppose it and support it will be on the attack. Whether the Rwanda plan victory will improve Sunak's standing in the polls, remains, to be seen.

Meanwhile, Benton is where he is, self-inflicted. The Blackpool South constituency may preserve him as their MP or they may not. Benton like his Tory masters in Westminister is living on borrowed time anyway.