VIPs will demand Taylor Swift levels of police protection, Cleverly claims

The shadiness location caput has said the determination to springiness Taylor Swift constabulary extortion during her concerts successful London earlier this twelvemonth volition pb others to request a akin level of security.

James Cleverly said the Government overruled the constabulary and information services successful their menace appraisal successful instrumentality for escaped tickets to the concerts astatine Wembley Stadium.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attended a sell-out Swift amusement for escaped and met the singer, aft Government engagement successful discussions implicit her security, which saw her fixed a taxpayer-funded constabulary escort portion performing successful London.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who were progressive successful the talks, besides accepted escaped tickets.

The determination to springiness Ms Swift constabulary extortion came aft Ms Swift pulled retired of 3 concerts successful Austria aft constabulary foiled a panic plot.

Speaking successful the Commons during Home Office questions, Mr Cleverly said: “The operational independency of the constabulary goes to the bosom of the assurance successful policing. As Foreign Secretary I saw wherever governmental interference successful policing is rife and that is not a absorption that the UK should question in.

“Does the Home Secretary judge that it is close to overrule the menace appraisal of constabulary and the information services?

“Does she judge that immoderate escaped performance tickets is the due terms for scrapping constabulary independence? And aft the appalling results from caller negotiations with the BMA, the RMT and Mauritius, has she considered recruiting Taylor Swift’s mum arsenic a Government negotiator?”

Home Office curate Jess Phillips said: “Operational decisions for policing falls to the police, successful this concern and successful each different one.”

Ms Phillips went connected to joke: “I would surely invited Taylor Swift’s parent to basal for the person of the Conservative Party, and I deliberation she would truly connection thing that is not presently available.”

She added: “The assurance of women successful policing and being capable to support women successful our state unafraid has dived nether the erstwhile government, truthful assurance decidedly needs to beryllium restored.”

Mr Cleverly, who was a Conservative Party enactment campaigner who was eliminated from the contention earlier this month, said: “Having been Home Secretary I person connected galore occasions had to woody with a petition from overseas VIPs for a level of extortion that they demanded oregon requested but that we did not consciousness was appropriate.

“Does (she) recognise the hard presumption that she has enactment her ain Foreign Secretary into erstwhile those aboriginal requests travel successful and they person to beryllium denied? When those individuals volition commune successful assistance to the extortion bundle enactment successful spot for a rockstar.”

Ms Phillips replied: “I accidental what I would privation to punctual the honourable gentleman, and the house, is that concerts were cancelled successful Vienna due to the fact that of a panic menace that the CIA identified could harm tens of thousands of people.

“I sat successful this precise enclosure past week, successful beforehand of Figen Murray, the parent of Martyn who was killed astatine an lawsuit successful Manchester successful this country.

“The thought that we shouldn’t instrumentality this information precise earnestly is I’m acrophobic thing I simply don’t hold with.”