The Labour Party has been accused of more "cronyism and sleaze" after allegedly pressuring the Metropolitan Police to provide American pop star Taylor Swift with a royal-style escort during her recent London concerts.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan intervened to secure the VIP treatment for Swift during her Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium, which typically reserved for senior royalty and politicians.
Swift's management reportedly "threatened to cancel" her August shows unless a police convoy was provided. Despite initial reluctance from the Met Police due to the significant expense to taxpayers, senior officers eventually agreed to the arrangement following personal interventions by Cooper and Khan.
Former Met commander John O'Connor criticised the decision, stating: "Police should be left alone to make operational decisions. 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."
Dr Renee Hoenderkamp hit out at Labour's Sadiq Khan and Yvette Cooper for getting involved in the situation
Getty / GB News
The Met have maintained that their decision-making is "based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and circumstances of each case".
Reacting to the Labour's involvement on GB News, Dr Renee Hoenderkamp claimed that it shows the party are "absolutely enthralled to celebrity".
She added: "I think it puts another question over the free tickets that they then got for Taylor Swift concerts, and I think it just shows more and more cronyism and sleaze at the heart of the party that said there would be no cronyism."
Dr Hoenderkamp further criticised the political involvement, stating: "I think it's more interesting that the politicians got involved.
Taylor Swift's camp threatened to 'call off the shows' unless there was a police escort
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"At the end of the day, I don't think they should have done, I think they should have left it to the Met and if they'd have left it to the Met, the Met said no."
Offering an alternative solution, commentator Scarlett Mccgwire argued: "I think Taylor Swift should have paid for it.
"The whole blue light thing is really difficult, who gets it and who doesn't, and who does qualify. I think if the problem was money, which is what it seems to be, then they should have just said you pay for it."
Weighing in on the latest blow to Labour, host Eamonn Holmes claimed that Taylor Swift "would have done the concerts regardless", as she "needs London".
Dr Hoenderkamp argued that the incident is 'another example of Labour cronyism and sleaze'
GB News
Eamonn fumed: "Khan will come forward and say, well, think of what this is doing to our economy and what's going on in London and whatever.
"But the truth is, Taylor Swift needs London just as much as London needs Taylor Swift."
Agreeing with Eamonn, Hoenderkamp added: "And you know what? She would still have come. She would still have carried on and done her concerts.
"And at the end of the day, I don't think they [Khan and Cooper] should have got involved."