Taylor Swift originally requested armed police guard ahead of Wembley gigs — but was refused
TAYLOR Swift asked for an armed police guard ahead of her Wembley gigs — but was refused.
The pop star was eventually granted a blue-light escort at great expense to the taxpayer.
It sparked a huge row with Labour politicians accused of pressuring the Met Police to provide the royalty-style treatment.
The US singer’s mum Andrea negotiated directly with the PM’s then-chief of staff Sue Gray over the protection.
A source said: “She originally requested an armed guard. She may have assumed cops were armed.”
Taylor’s mum had threatened to axe the shows following a foiled suicide bomb plot at her Austria gigs.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan both personally intervened in discussions.
Sir Keir Starmer accepted a freebie ticket to one of the Swift concerts and met her backstage in August.
The PM denied it was a thank-you for the escort but later paid back the money.
The Met said: “Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case.”