Britain just can't afford up to £100m a year to give round-the-clock protection to what will soon be NINE living ex-Prime Ministers: DAI DAVIES

By DAI DAVIES FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 00:38, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 00:38, 8 July 2026 When Andy Burnham takes over as Prime Minister, as he almost certainly will do later this month, he will have nine living predecessors. That is unprecedented in our history. During the 20th century, there were never more than five former PMs alive at the same time and they were often very old. It is also a huge and growing burden on the taxpayer, since all ex-PMs are entitled to lifelong, high-level armed security and detailed protection schedules, as well as an exceptionally generous six-figure stipend for 'expenses'. To the casual observer, this might seem a minor problem. After all, it involves just nine VIPs. How difficult can it be? But the degree of planning, kit and manpower involved is almost unimaginable. Should you catch sight of Lord Cameron and his wife at a restaurant, for example, or Gordon Brown delivering a speech at a conference, you might notice the security team and spot the armoured vehicle that brings them to the door – but beneath the surface is a vast operation, complex beyond the comprehension of anyone who hasn't lived it. And as this country continues to shed Prime Ministers more quickly than most people upgrade their phones, it is an operation that can no longer be taken for granted. Put bluntly, these perks, which help soften the landing of their return to civilian life by enabling them to enjoy the trappings of an existence they no longer qualify for, might be justifiable when the PMs concerned had served the nation for many years or – as with Tony Blair – there remain credible security threats to them. But when it comes to individuals such as Liz Truss, who lasted a mere 49 days in No 10, they are simply unjustifiable – especially when, given that she is aged just 50, she could live another 30 to 40 years in this cosseted manner. Rishi Sunak, who was PM for less than two years, is entitled to round-the-clock security As will Sir Keir Starmer, who would have served for just over two years by the time he leaves office Astonishingly, there are now more former Prime Ministers than members of the Royal Family receiving round-the-clock protection – and the bill is correspondingly higher. At a minimum, full 24/7 protection for a single individual requires two police officers on duty at all times. In order to cover days off, training days, regular firearm and fitness tests, annual leave and sickness, that demands a team of at least 12 people for every principal. Of the Royal Family, only the King and Queen, plus the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, receive 24-hour, state-funded protection. Other working royals, including Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, are granted taxpayer-funded security only when carrying out official duties. It is this second tier of security that Prince Harry has demanded – and been denied – by Ravec, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee. But every former PM qualifies for protection night and day by specialist officers, whether in Britain or abroad. This applies as much to Truss, who was famously outlasted in office by an iceberg lettuce, as it does to Blair, Prime Minister for a decade from 1997. And it will end only with their eventual deaths. Of the current eight ex-PMs, only Sir John Major is an octogenarian, at 83. Blair and Brown are 73 and 75 respectively, Baroness May is 69, Boris Johnson is 62, Cameron is 59 and Rishi Sunak – himself a man of substantial means – is the youngest, at 46. Four of them, in fact, don't even qualify for their state pensions. I estimate the protection bill for the eight ex-PMs being footed by the public could be as much as £100million per year, though the Home Office refuses to publish the actual figure. What is certain is that, when 63-year-old Sir Keir Starmer leaves office, the bill will rise sharply. When I was head of Royal Protection for Queen Elizabeth, from 1994 to 1998, my officers liaised closely with the Specialist Protection branch of the Met, who guarded former PMs including Margaret Thatcher. It is this second tier of security that Prince Harry has demanded – and been denied – by Ravec, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee Today, those duties fall to Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP), also part of the Met. The officers on each team will usually be sergeants or inspectors, at an annual cost of perhaps £100,000 each, including salary and overtime. Armed with tasers as well as Glock semi-automatic 9mm handguns, the officers will typically also keep a Heckler and Koch G36C sub-machinegun in the boot of the VIP's car, as well as stun-grenades and night-vision equipment. They will be trained in defensive driving and escort convoy techniques, but it is the cars themselves that provide truly remarkable levels of protection. The current PM's official vehicle is armoured almost to battlefield standards, designed to deflect bullets and, crucially these days, to withstand drone strikes. Inside, an independent air supply is available in the event of a chemical weapons attack, automatic fire extinguisher systems are standard and an escape hatch can be operated if a crash leaves the vehicle on its roof. PMs' homes are also likely to be 'target hardened'. This means installing a 'safe room' in the heart of the house, where the VIP and family can take refuge in an attack – and remain for days if necessary. But one room is not enough. The whole building has to be reinforced – its walls, windows, doors and roof made impervious to intruders. The family home becomes a fortress and this requires ongoing technical support and regular costly maintenance. A particular headache arises when a former PM goes on holiday. In advance, police reconnoitre the accommodation, map out escape routes, back-up communications, access to hospitals and so on. Each visit requires a separate folder, crammed with security contingency plans. In addition to all these costs, there's the thorny matter of 'expenses' reimbursed to ex-PMs by the taxpayer or, in the jargon of the Civil Service, the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA). Devised by Sir Robin Butler, Cabinet Secretary when Mrs Thatcher left power, it provides up to £115,000 a year to 'assist former Prime Ministers still active in public life' to meet the 'actual cost of continuing to fulfil public duties'. It was later amended to cover 'necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life'. Last year, Major, Blair and Johnson all claimed the full amount. May and Brown drew a few hundred pounds less than £115,000, while Truss and Cameron invoiced for slightly less than £100,000. Only Sunak declined to reimburse himself from the fund. Every time a Prime Minister is kicked out of office, the bill for keeping this charmed circle in their retirement goes up. You could say that's entirely in keeping with their role as people who reached the top of the political tree, and, of course, no one would dispute their right to protection if there is a genuine threat to their safety. But former deputy PMs, Home Secretaries, Foreign Secretaries, peers and others who might believe themselves entitled to such mollycoddling in retirement are only granted it if a threat assessment deems it necessary. When Prince Harry stopped being be a working royal, he forfeited his automatic right to security funded by the public purse. Given the swelling number of ex-PMs, it's high time we reviewed the security arrangements of politicians who have ceased to run the country. Former Chief Superintendent Dai Davies is the retired ex-Head of SO14 Royalty Protection Command. Student pilot, 22, is forced to land her plane alone after instructor leaps to his death from cockpit mid-flight in Argentina