No ‘undue influence’ from ministers over Taylor Swift police protection – Nandy

The determination was made by elder officers but the Home Secretary and Mayor of London were progressive successful talks astir information astir her sell-out shows implicit the summer, the Culture Secretary said.

The Shake It Off prima was fixed a motorbike convoy to support her connected the mode to Wembley contempt archetypal constabulary reservations, The Sun reported.

Senior Labour politicians including Sir Keir Starmer, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Ms Nandy were fixed escaped tickets to Eras Tour shows, but the Culture Secretary insisted determination was nary nexus betwixt the hospitality they received and the constabulary extortion for Swift.

“I utterly cull that there’s been immoderate benignant of wrongdoing oregon undue power successful this case,” she told Sky News.

She said the Home Secretary would beryllium progressive successful discussions astir the information risk, peculiarly fixed that Swift’s shows successful Vienna were cancelled due to the fact that of a panic threat.

Ms Nandy told Sky News: “When you person large events, whether successful London oregon successful different parts of the UK, the Home Secretary volition beryllium progressive successful a speech wherever determination is simply a information risk.

“I besides cognize that she doesn’t person the power, nor would she usage the power, to importune that immoderate idiosyncratic got the apical level of backstage information arrangements. That is an operational substance for the police, not for the Government.

“The constabulary made the decision. Ultimately, it is their decision, and cipher other tin marque it.”

Neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Secretary, nor the Mayor of London has the powerfulness to override the constabulary connected this matter. It is an operational determination for the police

Lisa Nandy

The Sun reported that the Metropolitan Police’s peculiar escort radical had initially been reluctant to springiness the Cruel Summer vocalist the benignant of extortion usually reserved for elder royalty and politicians.

Ms Nandy added: “What I tin archer you is that neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Secretary, nor the Mayor of London has the powerfulness to override the constabulary connected this matter. It is an operational determination for the police.

“They tin enactment their ain view. That’s surely the case. But you would expect the Home Secretary and the Mayor of the metropolis wherever this lawsuit is taking place, fixed the past of what had conscionable happened successful Vienna, to beryllium progressive successful the speech astir information arrangements.”

A Met Police spokesperson said: “The Met is operationally independent.

“Our determination making is based connected a thorough appraisal of threat, hazard and harm and the circumstances of each case.

“It is our longstanding presumption that we don’t remark connected the circumstantial details of protective information arrangements.”

A Home Office root said: “This was an operational determination for the police.

“Of course, erstwhile events of this standard instrumentality spot you would expect the Government, the Mayor’s Office and the Met Police to enactment unneurotic to guarantee they tin beryllium held safely and securely.

“As Taylor Swift herself said successful the aftermath of her cancelled concerts successful Vienna: ‘I decided that each of my vigor had to spell toward helping to support the astir fractional a cardinal radical I had coming to spot the shows successful London. My squad and I worked manus successful manus with stadium unit and British authorities each time successful pursuit of that goal, and I privation to convey them for everything they did for us.’

“We commend the constabulary for their enactment to guarantee these events went disconnected smoothly and safely.”

A spokeswoman for the Mayor said: “We don’t remark connected the Met’s information arrangements – they are operational decisions for them.”

The Prime Minister has paid backmost astir £3,400 for 4 Taylor Swift tickets donated by Universal Music Group and 2 from the Football Association.