Sadiq Khan has insisted the Metropolitan Police make decisions independently as a row rumbles on over Taylor Swift’s security arrangements.
It emerged last week that the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, were involved in talks around the security for the pop superstar’s string of shows at Wembley, during which Swift was given a tax-payer-funded motorbike convoy to protect her on the way to the stadium.
According to The Sun, police “relucantly” agreed to provide Swift with the VIP “blue light” escort, which is usually only laid on for senior royalty and politicians.
Speaking today, Mr Khan stressed that the Met has “operational independence” but the Government speaks with them about security issues “regularly”, as per The Indepdendent.
“What I’d say to people who aren’t aware is that our police have operational independence, whether it’s policing a protest, whether it’s policing a concert, a sporting event, New Year’s Eve fireworks,” he said.
“The Government – the Home Secretary is included in that – myself as the mayor, speak regularly with the Met Police Service about a whole host of security issues and, of course, we’re going to raise the issue of security around world-breaking concerts,” Mr Khan added.
The three-term Mayor of the capital said “we’ve got to make sure” people attending concerts and artists are safe, following a terror threat made against Swift’s gigs in Vienna – which saw her cancel three dates – and the Southport attack in July.
“And so I’m sure the commissioner took on board a whole host of views before he himself, as the commissioner, himself decided what was right and proper to do, and that operational independence falls with the commissioner,” he added.
The Attorney General Lord Hermer was also involved in the talks over Swift’s beef-up security, The Sunday Times reported over the weekend.
On Monday, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman reiterated that The Met makes decisions independently, but added that, “You’d expect Government, the police, the Mayor of London to be involved in planning significant events in the capital to ensure the public is kept safe.”
Sir Keir, Mr Khan and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy were among senior Labour figures who were given free tickets to see Swift on the UK leg of her five-continent tour.
In an interview with Sky News last week the Culture Secretary insisted that a police escort for the global superstar was not the result of “undue influence” from senior politicians who attended the concert.
She told the outlet she “utterly rejected” there had been “any kind of wrongdoing” by the Labour government or Mr Khan.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police 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.
The force added that it is “our longstanding position that we don’t comment on the specific details of protective security arrangements”.