SWIFTGATE last night sparked fears of a diplomatic spat if ministers are forced to reject VIP security for visiting dignitaries – after granting it to the pop star.
Ex-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it would put the government in a “difficult position” now a precedent has been set.
He hammered Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in the Commons for allegedly pressuring the Met Police to give Taylor Swift a police escort during her London shows last summer.
The row has snowballed since the Sun’s first exclusive after it emerged a string of Labour MPs were gifted free concert tickets and Sir Keir Starmer even met the singer backstage.
Mr Cleverly said: “Having been Home Secretary I have on numerous occasions had to deal with a request from foreign VIPs for a level of protection that they demanded or requested but that we did not feel was appropriate.
“Does she recognise the difficult position that she has put her own Foreign Secretary into when those future requests come in and they have to be denied?
“When those individuals will pray in aid to the protection package put in place for a rockstar.”
Home Office Minister Jess Phillips insisted that “operational decisions for policing falls to the police”.
She added: “I would wish to remind the honourable gentleman… that concerts were cancelled in Vienna because of a terror threat that the CIA identified could harm tens of thousands of people.”
Shortly after becoming Foreign Secretary in 2022, Mr Cleverly was tasked with handling security arrangements for visiting presidents and PMs for the Queen’s funeral.
He told The Sun last night: “A key point of diplomacy is to be able to say ‘no’ to requests without destroying your relationships.
“So when Taylor Swift’s mum comes knocking, asking for police protection for her daughter, the last thing you would expect is for the British government to capitulate so swiftly.
“How on Earth is David Lammy legitimately going to be able to say ‘no’ on behalf of the British people?”
Ex-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hauled ministers over the coals over the row[/caption]
