A Conservative MP has been suspended by the party after being filmed by The Times offering to lobby ministers.
Blackpool South MP, Scott Benton, told undercover reporters that he could table parliamentary questions, leak a confidential document and lobby ministers.
He believed he would be doing it on behalf of a fake gambling firm.
According to a transcript from The Times he was asked what he could offer that a PR of lobbying outfit couldn’t.
“The direct ear of a minister who is actually going to make these decisions,” he said.
“There’s probably ten different PR firms I know who are trying to get meetings with the minister [. . .] The beauty of politicians, if you like, are we vote in the House of Commons two or three times a day, and we’ll be voting later.
“You will literally stand at the beginning at the entrance to the voting lobby. And if you wait there for five minutes, the minister has to pass you. And then you’ve got ten minutes while you walk around to the next vote to have his ear.”
