Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the Army, described the move as unexpected. “The bottom line is internal security is the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police, end of story,” he said. “I am surprised that a risk assessment can outsource something like this to private security. On the face of it, it sounds wrong and shouldn’t be driven on cost grounds.”
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge called the reports “very concerning,” insisting that the Armed Forces “defend our nation and are entitled to expect appropriate policing for major military ceremonial events, especially when they are so special to our national heritage.” He urged ministers to “urgently provide reassurance that such events will be properly policed.”
Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin, who sits on the defence select committee, branded the decision “outrageous” and said it made Britain less safe.
He pointed to recent “sabotage and surveillance operations conducted on defence establishments,” arguing that security at events like Trooping the Colour formed part of the country’s homeland resilience.