The High Court case alleges that Mr Wallace’s company has breached intellectual property rights.

The former MP for Wyre and Preston North established Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd in 2024 as he prepared to leave UK Parliament. While the business is officially registered for “foreign affairs” and has no public website, its name has drawn the ire of William Grant & Sons, the drinks giant that has owned the Glenfiddich brand since 1886.

The choice of name stems from Mr Wallace’s time in office, during which he used whisky brands as coded shorthand when communicating with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov. Lacking a secure communication line, the pair referred to the Next Generation Light Anti-Tank weapon system as “Glenfiddich”, allowing them to discuss military aid over text message by saying that “the whisky is on its way”.

William Grant & Sons is pursuing a claim of “passing off”, a legal argument that the public might mistakenly associate the consulting firm with the established spirits brand. To succeed, the distillers must prove that the name misrepresents the business in a way likely to cause commercial damage. Although the consultancy reported a modest debt of just over £5,000 in its first year, the legal challenge targets the potential for public confusion regarding the whisky brand.

Mr Wallace, who serves as the sole director and shareholder of the Garstang-based firm, suggested to the BBC that he believed the legal action was no longer being pursued. However, the case remains on the High Court record, and William Grant & Sons has yet to confirm if they have dropped the claim.