For the time being we have decided to take no further action. The accounts presently in the public domain don’t, our lawyers say, evidence a clear enough link between the threats and any actual removal of spending. 

We will however, continue to monitor this issue and hold the Government to its promise that going forward it will not take into account the voting record of any MPs when making decisions about funding.

Following revelations of bullying from several MPs, lawyers for Good Law Project have written to the Prime Minister and Michael Gove threatening judicial review proceedings for misusing Ministerial powers - and pointing out that the revelations may amount to the criminal offence of misconduct in public office.

Yesterday, the MP for Bury South went on record to say the Government threatened to scrap plans to build a school in his constituency unless he voted with the Government. Imagine threatening to punish school kids to save your own skin.

Sadly, this latest revelation doesn’t come as a shock. The newspapers have carried stories for months that the Government has been blackmailing MPs by threatening to punish their constituents unless they toed the party line.

Reports suggest the Government has used these dirty tactics to pressure MPs to vote a certain way on everything from free school meals to cutting international aid. They are also said to have used these threats to force a vote to save the disgraced former MP Owen Paterson from suspension. 

If proven, the allegations could amount to misconduct in public office - a criminal offence. And they would amount to an unlawful misuse of Ministerial powers.

Good Law Project had already written to the Government regarding these underhand tactics. They tried to brush the allegations off. 

But now more MPs and former MPs are breaking cover to confirm these reports and we are once again demanding answers from the Government. We want to know if they are investigating these serious allegations from their own MPs. If not, why not? We also want full sight of any complaints made by MPs.

If answers aren’t forthcoming, we are likely to commence further legal action against the Prime Minister.

Following numerous reports that Tory MPs were being threatened with funding cuts if they didn’t tow the party line in Commons votes, Good Law Project wrote to the Government asking for answers. Hard-up communities can’t be blackmailed in service of Owen Paterson’s political career.  

We have now heard back from the Government.

It does not deny that the threats were made (and neither do senior Tory figures like Dominic Raab). But it has assured us that the threats won’t happen again. Their response says unequivocally that “in any decision of the Government in relation to the Towns Fund or the Levelling Up Fund, the voting record of any Member of Parliament linked to any particular area will not be taken into account” and that it will “form no part of the decision‐making processes in respect of either Fund.”

This is significant. 

We can’t change the past – but what we now have is a promise for the future. The Government says it will avoid a repetition of conduct that is unlawful – if not criminal. Should MPs, once again, be placed in the impossible position of choosing between their commitments to their constituents and their consciences they should contact us. We will promise – contractually – to keep their names confidential. And we will act again with proper vigour.

We have closed our crowdfunder for the case. With your help, we raised a significant amount of money. The costs we have incurred are very modest and we will meet them from our reserves. 

It is impossible to make refunds via CrowdJustice. In the circumstances, we think the fairest thing to do with the net sum raised is allocated towards our challenge to the Met Police’s failure to investigate parties at No 10 Downing Street.