In early August this year, trouble was all around. Rioting across the country followed the killing of three little girls in Southport.
The small boats crisis was getting worse. Pensioners were being robbed of winter fuel payments. The Israeli assault on Gaza was at its height.
So what was occupying the mind of Sir Keir Starmer’s then chief of staff?
Sue Gray was in discussion with Taylor Swift’s mother about providing a police escort for the pop star to and from her Wembley concerts.
Scotland Yard had initially refused, saying there was no specific threat. Because blue-light protection is normally reserved for royalty and senior politicians, police chiefs said that offering it to a private citizen would breach protocol.
Sir Keir also received free tickets to the Taylor Swift show, where he was pictured hugging his wife Victoria
Taylor Swift performs on stage during the ‘Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour’ at Wembley Stadium on 15th August 2024 in London
After Ms Gray’s intervention, however, the Met capitulated, at huge expense to the taxpayer. This followed pressure allegedly being put on the force by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Attorney General Lord Hermer and London mayor Sadiq Khan.
If the Government interfered in the operational independence of the police, that would be scandalous on its own. But No 10 is being dragged ever deeper into the Taylorgate row.
Sir Keir subsequently accepted freebie tickets for one of the shows from Ms Swift’s record label Universal Music.
The Prime Minister has sought to justify his sponging behaviour by pointing out that the company’s British headquarters are in his constituency.
But after days of obfuscation, Downing Street last night admitted the PM and his family also met the artist at the gig on August 20.
Of course, this would have been a dream come true for fans of Ms Swift. But getting an audience with such a massive star would be highly unusual, even for a country’s leader.
It seems the Government bent over backwards to accommodate Ms Swift’s grandiose demands. Were the tickets and meeting a thank you present?
A wise intervention
The Archbishop of Canterbury adds his voice today to growing disquiet over the speed with which the Assisted Dying Bill is being rushed through Parliament.
Justin Welby warns that for many elderly people who feel they have become a burden on their family the right to die will all too easily become a duty to die.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury stands on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral after attending a service confirming him as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on February 04, 2013 in London
A ‘suicide pod’ known as ‘The Sarco’ is seen in Rotterdam, Netherlands, 8th July, 2024. The debate in the UK comes as the new euthanasia device has been causing a stir in Switzerland
He acknowledges that those who are chronically ill and in deep distress should be allowed to die with dignity.
But no matter how many safeguards are put in place, he says any assisted suicide law would be open to abuse.
The elderly and vulnerable could be coerced into ending their lives by controlling and unscrupulous relatives.
He cites a study in Oregon, where euthanasia was legalised in 1997, showing almost half of those who opt to die say fear of being a millstone around their family’s neck was a factor in their decision.
He also fears that palliative care, already underfunded, would be further diminished.
These are all deeply complex and difficult issues which deserve exhaustive consideration. There is a sense in which this legislation is being stampeded through the Commons by Labour.
MPs must be careful to avoid placing those they are trying to help under unbearable pressure to choose state-sponsored suicide. As the Archbishop says, even the best intentions can lead to unintended consequences.
