Security of politicians and royals to be urgently reviewed, says Home Secretary in wake of Ann Widdecombe's murder
Shabana Mahmood said the security of politicians and royals will be reviewed.
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Security arrangements for high-profile public figures including politicians and royals will be reviewed urgently after the killing of Ann Widdecombe and other recent events, Shabana Mahmood has said.Police support will be expanded to include leaders of political parties who are not MPs, as well as peers, former MPs, former members of the devolved parliaments and political party spokespeople, the Home Secretary said.The independent review, carried out by former national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove, will look at how existing security is provided and whether funding and measures are being used effectively.It will build on the work of Sir Robert Buckland, who is conducting a separate review into the murder of Sir David Amess, Ms Mahmood told the Commons.Reform UK spokeswoman Miss Widdecombe, 78, died on July 8 after she was hit over the head with a hammer 21 times at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon.Read more: ‘Brexit reset is coming!’ Burnham vows to strike fresh EU deals worth £10billion as he declares status quo ‘not good enough’Read more: 'There was no Russian interference': Farage blasts Andy Burnham as 'liar' after PM claimed Kremlin meddled in Brexit vote
Ann Widdecombe, 78, died in July.
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Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was charged with her murder on July 20.Ms Mahmood said: “Those who enter public life do so to serve. Robust debate and criticism are part of the job. Threats, abuse and violence are not.“An attack on any individual in public life is an attack on every one of us, and it is an attack on democracy itself.“We owe it to those public servants we have tragically lost, and to everyone who believes in a fair and open country, to ensure those who serve receive the protection they deserve.”It comes after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC that Prince Harry’s police protection will be kept under review, as a security specialist warned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “rolling the dice” with the limitations of private bodyguards in Britain.Sir Mark said decisions about who receives personal police protection were made through a national process involving the police, security services and government.
It comes after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC that Prince Harry’s police protection will be kept under review.
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His comments come as close protection specialist Richard Aitch questioned the handling of Harry’s security, warning that leaving royal duties behind did not mean the threats against him had disappeared.Asked during Call the Commissioner if Harry and Meghan should have police protection, Sir Mark said: “There is a national process which looks at the risk posed to different people and assesses whether they need personal police protection.“There are a small number of tens of individuals who justify that.”Asked if the arrangements were currently being reviewed, he said: “Clearly, he has said publicly he used to be protected, he isn’t now. We will keep that under review.
“It’s not my decision. There’s a government committee that does it, which ourselves, security services, and others sit on and feed all the information together to make that assessment about who needs that level of protection.”Sir Mark also warned about the threats facing people in public life.Describing an “angry, more polarised world”, Sir Mark said extreme debate on social media and international influences were creating a difficult environment.He said police, the Home Office and parliamentary authorities had put increasing support around politicians over the past decade, but those in public life were becoming more anxious.“We want people to be prepared to step into public life and make their case. It’s part of democracy,” he said.“We don’t want people to be threatened in that world.”
