Scott Benton was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party in April after being caught by The Times suggesting he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money.

In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the standards committee recommended a suspension for Mr Benton over a “very serious breach” of the rules.

Now, the Blackpool South MP says he will be appealing against his suspension and making a formal complaint about how his case has been handled.

“This process is designed to be open, fair, honest and transparent so the public and MPs can have trust in the process,” Mr Benton said.

“This trust has been breached by Members of the Committee. I can’t have faith in a standards process that doesn’t adhere to its own ethics, standards and principles.

“Time and time again, this process has demonstrated itself to me to be anything but fair and transparent. 

“This decision was heavily influenced by the Memorandum submitted by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards which makes several pivotal statements that are completely factually inaccurate.

“If those that judge MPs are not being open minded, fair and proportionate in the way that they are handling evidence or examining witnesses, our democracy is under threat.

“I will happily fully submit myself to a process that considers the actual facts in my case, and which relies on indisputable evidence.

“Upholding the principles of fairness and due process is paramount, and I trust that a second assessment will consider the facts and lead to a more equitable decision.”