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As London’s legion of Swifties descended on Wembley Stadium, swapping friendship bracelets and preparing to shake it off along the way, an argument over a police escort was taking place in the heart of Downing Street.
In an unusual move, the Metropolitan Police provided Taylor Swift with a taxpayer-funded escort for her highly anticipated Eras Tour shows. Such measures are usually reserved for high-ranking royalty and major government officials.
The Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, has been dragged into the row after claims he pressured the Metropolitan Police into giving the singer a taxpayer-funded blue-light escort.
Despite initial reluctance, the Met eventually provided for the enhanced security due to security concerns following a foiled alleged terror plot in Austria.
But the decision has raised questions about security protocols and the alleged political influence in the police – with Sir Keir Starmer now facing growing calls to commission an independent inquiry.
How was the Attorney General drawn into the Swift ranks?
Scotland Yard initially rejected the idea of ​​providing Taylor Swift with increased security for two of her Eras Tour concerts, warning that giving the American star “VVIP” protection would break with its long-standing protocols.
But that attitude reportedly changed after Lord Hermer KC was asked to intervene. The government’s top lawyer is believed to have given the Met Police “legal cover” to provide the pop megastar’s protection.
But it remains unclear who in the government had requested that its top lawyer be involved.
The independent previously reported that Yvette Cooper and Sadiq Khan discussed security arrangements to ensure the safety of concertgoers following the foiled terror attack at an Era tour show in Vienna, Austria.
According to Sadiq Khan, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was solely responsible for operational matters at the time. The Mayor of London told an assembly meeting that questions about security were for Sir Mark alone to answer.
He said: “Operational matters are matters for the police, not matters for the mayor, and I have never interfered in operational matters as far as the police are concerned.”
And a spokesman for Lord Hermer claimed the decision was “purely an operational decision for the police”.
Following the allegations of intervention, former Defense Secretary Alec Shelbrooke called for an inquiry.
Mr. Shelbrooke said: “This episode is getting murkier by the hour. First we heard the Home Secretary had words with the Met – now we hear the Attorney General was apparently involved too.
“We now need a full and transparent explanation of how this top-level security was provided. And if the Met were leaning, heads must roll.”
What led to the police escort decision?
The pop star appeared at Wembley in August just days after pulling out of three planned concerts in Vienna.
Austrian authorities arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly planning an attack. According to officials, he pledged allegiance to Isis.
After the foiled plot, Police Minister Diana Johnson said Scotland Yard would look at “all the intelligence” ahead of Swift’s return to the UK for a series of concerts.
The star’s mother, Andrea Swift, who is also her manager, demanded that the organizers provide a police escort for the singer.
But the pressure grew after she threatened to cancel the concerts in London if it was not granted. A source said The Guardian: “The mother made a number of security demands based on what had happened in Vienna.”
Why did Taylor Swift receive a special police escort?
Although a Met security assessment reportedly found no specific threats against her following a risk assessment, reports claim the government was warned of a potential financial fallout from a potential cancellation.
A Downing Street source speaksThe sun defended the move, saying the August concerts were “a big event for the country”.
Swift and her team were then provided with a police convoy by the Special Escort Group (SEG).
But the move raised eyebrows among the opposition, with former minister James Cleverly writing to Cooper to ask if she had personally made the remarks.
In his letter, Cleverly asked whether any ministers spoke to the Met chief about Swift’s police protection and whether they accepted tickets for her concerts before or after decisions were made about the security arrangements.
What has the government said?
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rejected claims that a police escort was the result of “undue influence” by senior politicians, including the Home Secretary and the Mayor of London.
“I absolutely deny that there has been any wrongdoing or undue influence in this matter,” Nandy told Sky News.
“When you have major events, whether it’s in London or in other parts of the UK, the Home Secretary will be involved in a conversation where there is a security risk.” I also know that she does not have the power, nor would she use that power, to insist that every person be given the highest level of private security arrangements. It is an operational matter for the police, not for the government.
“The police made the decision. At the end of the day, it’s their decision and no one else can make it.”
The independent has contacted Lord Hermer KC, the Home Office, Yvette Cooper and the Mayor of London for comment.