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Story summary
- The UK will keep 24-hour armed police protection for nine former prime ministers, costing £12.9 million to £24.5 million annually.
- About 135 specialist firearms officers work in three eight-hour shifts, giving each former prime minister a team of 15, at a per-officer cost of just under £180,000, totaling £24.5 million.
- The spending occurs as firearms officers fell to 5,753 last year—a drop of nearly 1,000 since 2019—prompting sustainability reviews and possible means-testing.
