Keir Starmer and his family met Taylor Swift at Wembley on the final night of the Eras Tour in London.
The Prime Minister is understood to have gone backstage with his family to meet the American pop superstar on August 20, the last of her run of sell-out shows in the Capital. He accepted free tickets worth £2,600 from her label, Universal Music for show on August 16 - which he has repaid after a backlash over MP freebies.
The news comes amid a row over VIP security afforded to Swift during her August shows in London. She was granted blue-light escorts - usually reserved for the and top ministers - after a foiled terror plot forced her to cancel her concerts in Austria.
In a 10-minute meeting, the PM and Swift are understood to have discussed the horrific Southport stabbings in July, when Bebe King, 6, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, were killed at a themed dance class. They are not thought to have discussed her security.
READ MORE:
Swift met some of the survivors of the Southport attack during her shows and reached out to their families privately. In a statement after the tragedy, the 34-year-old said she was "at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families".
The news about the PM's meeting with Swift, first revealed by , fuelled further scrutiny of the decision to offer her heightened security while in London. It emerged last week that London Mayor and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were involved in talks about the request, which was originally rejected by the Metropolitan Police.
Swift's mother Andrea reportedly threatened to cancel the shows if the singer was refused the police escort. Yard are said to have sought advice over from Attorney General Richard Hermer KC over concerns that officers could be liable if there were any incidents and about the legal impact of breaking protocol.
Mr Khan, Ms Cooper and No10 have all repeatedly said that operational decisions are taken by the Met. Downing Street also cited the terror threat faced by Swift in Vienna as one of the reasons the Government was involved in security talks.
Asked whether the PM was given the tickets as a "thank you" for Swift getting beefed up security, the PM's official spokesman said: "I completely reject that characterisation because it's ultimately up to the police to take operational decisions in relation to the security of these major events."
READ MORE:
You may also like
Protect Yourself: 10 Tactics Scammers Use to Commit Fraud
Cabinet greenlights Rs 2,642 crore multi-tracking Railways project in UP
Beauty Tips: Increase the beauty of your face with rice water before Diwali, use it in this way
Delhi govt ends NOC requirement for power connection in unauthorised colonies; BJP calls it 'half-truth'
Atishi taking credit for work done on PM Modi's instruction: Manoj Tiwari
This Syrian artist is capturing hearts with his whimsical art
Alia Bhatt's Jigra copy of Savi: Here's where you can watch Divya Khosla Kumar's Savi on OTT
Kapil Sharma Reveals Son Trishaan's Eyes Are Similar To His Late Grandfather: Lagta Hai Mere Dadaji Ghum…
Met Office issues two new weather warnings as rain and wind set to batter UK
"Sulking" Cong declines ministry, offers outside support to Omar government.
Strive to redress pensioners' grievances within 21 days: Centre to depts
Real-Life Weight Loss Transformation Story: This Woman Lost 20 Kgs With The Right Nutritional Intake
Strictly's Wynne and Katya look strained behind scenes after cosying up for cameras
Son Heung-min, Richarlison, Odobert - Tottenham injury news and return dates for West Ham
Argos customers rushing to buy the most stylish Xbox console yet
Watch: 'Jalebi' celebrations as BJP unanimously elects Nayab Singh Saini as legislature party leader
Tarun Chugh confident of BJP-led NDA victory in Maha, J'khand polls
Coronation Street fans 'work out' what's wrong with Dee-Dee - and she's not pregnant
'Google Is Rigged': Donald Trump Dials Sundar Pichai, Says 'You're Going To Destroy The Company By...'
Beauty Tips: Try these home remedies to bring an instant glow to your face, you will get the benefit