Is Taylor Swift more worthy than Prince Harry: What her special treatment meant for Labour

Is Taylor Swift bigger than Prince Harry? That's the message some are getting following the push her mum and manager, Andrea, made to have the superstar recieve a royal-style escort to her Wembley gig.

It's even been said that some top Labour politicians are accused of putting the pressure onto police to give the Love Story singer a blue-light escort to Wembley, only to then land free gig tickets.

The Met were said to be reluctant to give her the VVIP service, which is massively painful on the taxpayers pocket and a privilege Prince Harry himself was famously denied.

But it seems that allowances were made after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan made some personal interventions.

are reporting that Taylor's mum and manager, Andrea, even threatened to pull the August shows unless a convoy was provided following a foiled suicide bomb plot in Austria the previous week.

But VVIP protection is usually for senior royalty and politicians and even fifth in line to the throne of England, Prince Harry would not get the same treatment after losing a court battle over the downgrading of his security.

So, despite the Special Escort Group of motorcyclists having a strict policy of not being used for private individuals but still managed to make space for the singer. Although it is understood that chiefs were opposed to providing protection for billionaire Swift, 34, and her entourage.

The revelations over the security issue comes after Labour politicians were criticised for making the most of some freebies. Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer and Sadiq Khan were among those to recieve free tickets to the Wembley gigs.

Ex-Met commander John O'Connor spoke out over the incident.

He said: "Police should be left alone to make operational decisions. This interference creates a perception there is no such thing as a free lunch or concert tickets.

"The Met is unable to provide security for Prince Harry but he must be in at least as much danger as Taylor Swift. The SEG is dedicated to the very serious business of protecting the Royal Family, senior government ministers and foreign heads of state.

"This is an abuse of an elite service."

In Vienna, three of Taylor's gigs were cancelled over terrorism fears. But an intelligence assessment was carried out by UK poice and MI5 and no information of a threat to the star's Wembley shows cropped up.

But sources told the Sun that momager Andrea Swift demanded a police escort for the journey to and from Wembley from a hotel.

They said: "There was a great deal of concern about security in the Swift camp and they were threatening to call off the shows unless there was a police escort. The SEG has a specific role and do not provide security cover for any private individuals, no matter how important."

After the SEG's initial refusal, it is understood the office of Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley intervened. Sources say Yvette Cooper stressed to the Met that any cancellation would be economically damaging and embarrassing.

But SEG controllers are said to have remained steadfast.

The source continued: "At this point Mayor Khan stepped in and contacted the Met. The Mayor had apparently been contacted by the Home Secretary's office and Swift's management.

"The involvement of the Home Secretary and Mayor effectively amounts to applying pressure. The SEG finally agreed to make an exception to their policy and the Vienna terrorist arrests were used to justify the decision.

"But there was no specific threat to Swift and the SEG were not happy about being used as her private bodyguards. They feel their position and role has been undermined."

None of the SEG officers was armed as they normally are for official State duties and ordinary police motorcyclists were used at the Edinburgh and Cardiff shows.

Taylor thanked police for helping her Wembley gigs to go ahead. She said: "We commend the police for their work to ensure these events went off smoothly and safely."

The Met said: "The Met is operationally independent. Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and circumstances of each case."

A Home Office source said: "This was an operational decision for the police. Of course, when events of this scale take place you would expect the Government, the Mayor's office and the Met Police to work together to ensure they can be held safely and securely."

A spokesman for the Mayor said: "We don't comment on the Met's security arrangements."

PM Sir Keir has offered to refund free tickets worth £4,000 he got for Swift's August concerts but is not paying back the cost of four tickets for a show in June he attended with wife Victoria.