Police are investigating Brexit party claims of the offer of peerages and jobs to get their candidates to stand down.
As they should.
We often throw around the term bribe, but this is a legitimate bribe that breaches The Bribery Act if true. I underlined the important parts.
Offences of bribing another person
(1)A person (“P”) is guilty of an offence if either of the following cases applies.
(2)Case 1 is where—
(a)P
offers, promises or gives a financial or
other advantage to another person, and
(b)P intends the advantage—
(i)to induce a person to perform improperly a relevant function or activity, or
(ii)to
reward a person for the improper performance of such a function or activity.
Improper performance to which bribe relates
(1)For the purposes of this Act a relevant function or activity—
(a)is performed improperly if it is performed in breach of a relevant expectation, and
(b)is to be treated as being performed improperly if there is a
failure to perform the function or activity and that failure is itself a breach of a relevant expectation.
Penalties
(1)An individual guilty of an offence under
section 1, 2 or 6 is liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both,
(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or to a fine, or to both.