Every former premier, including Liz Truss, who served a mere 49 days, is entitled to 24/7 protection for life
A severe backlog in Britain’s protective security apparatus has sparked outrage, with insiders condemning the Home Office's decision to freeze vital threat assessments while armed police struggle to guard an unprecedented number of former Prime Ministers.
A source with knowledge of the Risk Management Board has told GB News: "It is a rather incoherent argument from the Home Office to respond to a reported 'backlog' by temporarily pausing Risk Management Boards (RMBs).
"If there is a backlog because demand is high, the obvious response would be to allocate more resources to clear it - not to stop conducting them altogether.
"The stakes could hardly be higher. These assessments exist to help keep people safe. Those intent on harming politicians, public servants and other high-profile individuals are unlikely to suspend their plans while the Home Office catches up administratively.
"Protective security in this country has been underfunded and overstretched for years. More troubling still, I am told by those with direct knowledge that highly trained close protection officers are now routinely being redeployed to other policing duties simply to plug gaps elsewhere.
"If that is true, it raises serious questions about whether protective security is being given the priority it deserves. If the pause really was the result of a backlog, then the question is not whether RMBs should have been delayed, but why the system was ever allowed to reach this point.
"Why has protective security been permitted to fall into such an obviously precarious state? And why are we not investing the resources necessary to protect those whose public roles make them potential targets?"
The fierce criticism follows revelations published by The Times indicating that the Duke of Sussex is currently stuck in administrative limbo regarding his own UK safety provisions.
Authorities are reportedly stretched to their limits managing the simultaneous protection of a record-breaking nine former Prime Ministers.
Late last year, Prince Harry was informed he would receive a fresh assessment to determine if his automatic right to police security during British visits should be reinstated.
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the Home Office-supervised group responsible for allocating armed protection to public figures, was scheduled to conduct this review in March. However, by the end of June, the evaluation had yet to occur.
The delay is reportedly tied to a massive bottleneck at Ravec, driven largely by the sheer volume of VIPs and politicians requiring elite, round-the-clock security.
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To manage this soaring demand, officials allegedly implemented a four-month freeze on all new risk management evaluations.
A source familiar with the process told the publication: “Harry’s case is not all about Harry. It’s about a much wider situation within the police about the number of former premiers they are now protecting and fewer armed officers available.”
Upon stepping back from frontline royal duties, the duke was stripped of his automatic, taxpayer-funded security detail.
He must now provide 30 days' notice before travelling to Britain so threat levels can be evaluated, though full police protection has been consistently denied on his return trips.
Following his May 2025 Court of Appeal loss against the Home Office, Harry formally requested a new review from the Home Secretary. While an assessment was approved, bureaucratic gridlock quickly stalled the process.
As the duke awaited his spring evaluation, the political landscape shifted, adding Sir Keir Starmer to the roster of living former Prime Ministers. This brings the total to a historic high of nine.
Every former premier, including Liz Truss, who served a mere 49 days, is entitled to 24/7 protection for life. For context, the 20th century never saw more than five living ex-Prime Ministers at any given time.
Recent reports suggest that guarding the eight leaders preceding Sir Keir cost taxpayers roughly £13million and required around 135 personnel.
Both the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office maintain a strict policy of withholding exact operational costs and staffing figures to prevent compromising security protocols.
Addressing the controversy, a Home Office spokesman said: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.
“It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
