Lisa Nandy denies police escort ‘undue influence’

A police escort for Taylor Swift was not the result of “undue influence” from senior politicians attending the singer’s London concerts, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said.

The decision was made by senior police officers, although Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan were involved in talks about security around the US superstar’s shows over the summer, Nandy said.

Swift was given a motorbike convoy to protect her on the way to Wembley despite initial police reservations, the Sun reported.

Senior Labour politicians including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Khan and Nandy were given free tickets to Eras Tour shows.

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.

“We can make categorically clear that all operational decisions were made by the Metropolitan Police and they do not discuss security arrangements.”

Earlier, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Neither the prime minister nor the home secretary, nor the mayor of London has the power to override the police on this matter. It is an operational decision for the police.

“They can put their own view. That’s certainly the case.

“But you would expect the home secretary and the mayor of the city where this event is taking place, given the history of what had just happened in Vienna, to be involved in the conversation about security arrangements.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force was “operationally independent”.

“Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case,” the spokesperson said.

The force added it would not comment on specific details of security arrangements.

A Home Office spokesperson reiterated the Met Police’s operational independence but said the mayor and home secretary would be involved in conversations on large-scale events.

The spokesperson also quoted Swift’s remarks after the foiled Vienna terror plot: “I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London.

“My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”

The singer held three shows at Wembley Stadium in June and five in August.

City Hall said it would not comment on the Met’s security arrangements.

The prime minister has paid back almost £3,400 for four Taylor Swift tickets donated by Universal Music Group and two by the Football Association.