UK Cabinet Secretary Simon Case confirmed Wednesday that he “flagged” UK Conservative MP Nadine Dorries to the Chief Whip and the Speaker of the House of Commons for sending “threatening” messages to senior officials after she was not granted a peerage. The allegation pertains to the “forceful” emails apparently sent from the MP to the government about her not being given a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.

Case also said that he was “seeking further advise” of any potential breaches of the law, including breaches of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses Act) 1925.

The Metropolitan Police Service previously investigated crimes under this act in February 2022, in a “decision follow[ing] an assessment of a Sep 2021 letter, related to media reporting alleging offers of help made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.” 

The Honours (Prevention of Abuses Act) 1925 states:

If any person accepts or obtains or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain from any person, for himself or for any other person, or for any purpose, any gift, money or valuable consideration as an inducement or reward for procuring or assisting or endeavouring to procure the grant or a dignity or title of honour to any person, or oterwise in connection with such a grant, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour

The Act was passed in the wake of a “cash for honours” scandal under former Prime Minister David Lloyd George but has seen just one person convicted: Maundy Gregory in 1933. A more recent investigation began in 2006 after revelations surfaced that some people recommended for peerages had made secret loans to the Labour Party and other major political parties, eventually resulting in no charges.