Taylorgate: A Tale of Two Security Requests

What Taylor Swift's granted security detail in London tells us about Prince Harry's lawsuit.

This summer, Taylor Swift’s European tour took a terrifying turn when Austrian authorities arrested two individuals accused of plotting attacks at large-scale events, including her Vienna concerts. The singer was forced to cancel three shows amid a summer plagued by terrorist threats across the continent.

Hello Dear Readers!

At first glance, Taylor Swift and Prince Harry might seem worlds apart. However, from the glitz of her concert to the corridors of Montecito, an unlikely connection has emerged. A recent political scandal in the UK has drawn some parallels in the media between the pop star and the Duke of Sussex. Welcome to our Analysis of the Month!

For weeks, senior Labour politicians have been dogged by criticism over gifts, perks, and favors declared by Keir Starmer and other frontbenchers. The prime minister declared more gratis tickets and gifts than other major party leader in recent times, including £4,000 of hospitality at a Swift concert. Lately, it looked as though Labour had dodged a bullet, vowing to reform the system and close the loophole that had allowed ministers to skirt transparency rules.

But last week The Sun reported an explosive story: After initial reservations from the police, our mayor Sadiq Khan and the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, were involved in talks over providing extra security for Swift’s Eras Tour shows at Wembley. Thus, the police escort Swift received caused an uproar in British politics and the controversy has sparked comparisons from Sussex allies about security standards. To them, the situation mirrors the high-profile case of Prince Harry, who along with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, lost their round-the-clock taxpayer-funded security detail after stepping down as a senior royals in 2020. To Sussex allies, this occasion highlighted the double standards at play.

How correct is this take? What does this mean for Prince Harry’s security fight? Is it unfair that Swift was able to “get something” he’d been requesting for over four years? Turns out,