The former Head of Royal Protection has called for “serious questions to be answered” after the Metropolitan Police gave pop star Taylor Swift a “VIP” blue light escort during her Eras Tour shows in London.
Labour have been scolded as it was revealed that several key figures within the party – Sadiq Khan, Yvette Cooper and Sue Gray – played a part in convincing the Met that the high-level security would be needed.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the arrangement on Monday, Khan said: “The Government, the Home Secretary [Yvette Cooper]… 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.”
Dai Davies says the move by Labour shows a ‘lack of leadership and bottle’
PA / GB News
Reacting to the developing revelations on GB News, former Head of Royal Protection Dai Davies expressed his outrage at Labour’s intervention, saying the move shows “a complete lack of leadership and bottle at the top”.
Davies fumed: “There are serious questions to be asked of a number of ministers, and I’m seriously concerned.
“It stinks, and the whole issue of gratuities for ministers stinks too.”
Noting the Labour freebies scandal, which included free Taylor Swift tickets for ministers including premier Sir Keir Starmer, Davies claimed there is “no such thing as a free meal”.
Davies told GB News: “I don’t know why, whoever wrote these rules, thinks it’s alright for ministers to get freebies, which I suspect they don’t declare to HM Customs and Revenue.
“So why is it the rest of us policemen, civil servants, teachers – you can’t take gratuities, but it’s okay for these individuals.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
“Serious questions need to be asked. Who said what to whom. And I understand why the police are reticent to disclose because arguably it could show a complete lack of leadership and bottle, presumably at the top.”
When pressed by host Emily Carver on the message this sends about the current Labour government, Davies said they should have been “setting an example” in their first 100 days, but instead have become embroiled in several controversies.
Davies explained: “It doesn’t say much for being moral and ethical. Being ethical as a government should be the example you set in the first hundred days. Virtually all the cabinet members, as far as I can see, have had freebies.
“Now what the motive behind those giving those freebies remains to be seen. But I say again, there’s no such thing as a free meal. How can you get 100,000 plus in freebies and call yourself morally upright? I just don’t buy it.”
Dai Davies said in his time as Royal Protection head he ‘never received’ a request similar
GB News
Delivering his overall verdict on the security arrangements, Davies claimed that Labour’s influence on the police to give the escort to Swift is “nonsense”.
Davies said: “Going back to the whole issue, this is nonsensical. In my four years in command of royalty protection as the Chief Superintendent, the OCU commander, I never had a request like this.
“And if I had, you’d have had to work very hard and persuade me that the risk was so great, that a pop star should have this kind of security.
“The intelligence, as far as I know, regarding the two men in Vienna, was that there was absolutely no credible threat in London for these concerts.”
