Scott Benton: party activists taunt under fire Blackpool MP by wearing masks bearing his smiling face at campaign launch

Labour launched its Blackpool local election campaign in the resort - by taking a cheeky pop at under fire MP Scott Benton. Party activists wore masks bearing the MP’s smiling face and danced on the Prom as they called for Mr Benton’s resignation.

Mr Benton is being investigated by the Conservatives and has had the party whip withdrawn after he was caught up in an undercover sting operation. He was secretly filmed by an undercover journalist pretending to be from the gambling industry appearing to agree to lobby ministers and leak confidential government papers in return for cash.

Labour is targeting Blackpool at the May elections, and brought a shadow cabinet minister to the resort to bolster their attack on the Blackpool South MP. Alison McGovern, Labours Shadow Employment minister, said: "I was appalled to see yet another example of a Conservative MP indicating he’d be willing to commit a serious breach of the rules to line his own pockets, putting his personal interests before his Blackpool South residents.”

“In a town where child poverty is the highest in Lancashire, the Conservative Member of Parliament ought to be focused on the priorities of the people they represent like calling on his government to eradicate child poverty, not using their privileged position to rake in thousands on the side. The Prime Minister must listen to the people of Blackpool and put an end to the culture of his own MPs raking in thousands of pounds in extra income, when their focus should be on the people they have been elected to represent.”

"The Prime Minister has no authority and has lost control of his own MPs. We have had more than a thousand Blackpool South residents sign our petition to send a message to the Conservatives that their actions are unacceptable and Blackpool deserves better. Labour will not tolerate this behaviour and will clean up the Conservative’s mess by restoring trust in politics."

Chris Webb, Labours Parliamentary Candidate for Blackpool South, added: “On the steps of Downing Street, Rishi Sunak pledged to lead a government with “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.” If the Prime Minister meant what he said, he must do the right thing and call for his MP Scott Benton to resign immediately after another blatant example of Conservative sleaze.”

Scott Benton has been approached for comment.