Taylor Swift’s mum reportedly threatened to cancel her August tour dates in the UK if the pop star didn’t get special VIP security from the Metropolitan Police
James Murray asked about Taylor Swift police escort on Sky News
Taylor Swift’s mum reportedly threatened to cancel her August tour dates in the UK if the pop star didn’t get special VIP security from the police.
Three dates for the Eras tour were cancelled in Austria’s capital Vienna after a terror attack was foiled by US intelligence services the week before. Taxpayer-funded blue-light escorts are usually reserved for the royal family and Cabinet ministers but it is understood the Government held talks with the police about providing the popstar with the security following the terror attack plot.
Swift’s mum Andrea, who is also her manager, is said to have spoken with the PM’s former chief of staff Sue Gray, as well as directly speaking with senior officers about her having the escort, according to reports. The Sun said the mother threatened to cancel the shows if she was not provided with it.
The Metropolitan Police reportedly spoke to the government’s top lawyer, Richard Hermer KC, about providing the escort as it raised concerns that officers could be liable if there were any incidents. The police sought advice from the Attorney General because it was worried about the legal impact of breaking protocol.
Scotland Yard are said to have questioned the need for the security as there was no specific threat known to Swift at the time in London and there are strict rules around using its force’s escort. Other police forces offered similar arrangements to Swift before the Vienna terror plot, with police motorcyclists used for her June tour dates in Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan were involved in discussions with the Met about providing Swift with the Special Escort Group of motorcyclists. It came days after three children were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
A source close to the Home Secretary said: “The London Taylor Swift concerts in August came immediately after the cancellation of her Vienna concerts, following the discovery of a terror plot which the CIA’s deputy director said was designed to kill ‘tens of thousands’ of attendees, and which led to widespread questions about whether the London concerts would go ahead.
“They also came after a fortnight of serious and violent disorder in a number of British towns and cities, which followed the terrible attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. In the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack on the Ariana Grande concert in 2017, security arrangements for events like these are taken extremely seriously. Indeed, the government will shortly legislate for Martyn’s Law to improve the security of venues.”
Treasury minister James Murray told Sky News: “As I understand it, that was an operational decision by the Met Police in terms of what happened there. Obviously, with a major event, there are going to be conversations with the Government, but that decision ultimately was one for the police.”
Asked about Ms Gray being involved in discussions, he added: “I don’t know what conversations took place and there’s a lot of speculation in the papers about a lot of things, but what I know from the Met Police is that they’re very clear this was an operational decision, and that obviously the government will be involved in conversations about major events taking place in the capital, but ultimately, that’s an operational decision for the police.”
A Met Police spokesman said: “The Met is operationally independent. Our decision making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case. It is our longstanding position that we don’t comment on the specific details of protective security arrangements.”
