THE ORIGINS

[box] The row over cash-for-honours blew up earlier this year after it was disclosed that rich businessmen had been nominated for seats in Britain’s unelected upper house of parliament after lending Labour large sums for its 2005 election campaign.

THE LOANS

[box] Blair has been accused of selling peerages after four businessmen who gave Labour $4.5 million in unpublicised loans, were subsequently nominated for peerages.

[box] Labour went on to reveal it had been secretly loaned nearly $14 million ahead of the last election.

The Conservatives borrowed $16 million from 13 wealthy backers. The Liberal Democrats have said they owe $850,000 to three backers.

BREAKING THE LAW

[box] Blair has become the first British prime minister since Lloyd George in the 1920s to be interviewed by police in the cash-for-honours probe.

That probe resulted in the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925, making it illegal to sell state honours.

[box] The police are investigating whether political parties broke that 1925 law banning the sale of state honours.

They are also investigating whether a law from 2000, which says that all donations of more than $5,000 must be declared, was broken.

[box] Police have sent letters to most members of Blair’s 2005 cabinet, including finance minister and prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown, requesting evidence in the probe.

[box] When the row flared in March 2006, Blair said he knew about the undeclared loans from individuals who were later nominated for Lords seats, but denied there was any link.