Rising Security Bill for Former UK Prime Ministers

Nine living former prime ministers – Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Lord David Cameron, Baroness Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and incoming Sir Keir Starmer – receive 24-hour armed police protection. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) bases protection on threats from hostile states and extremist groups.

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Each former premier has a basic team of 15 officers, about 135 in total. Personnel costs are £95,500 per officer, giving a minimum annual bill of £12.9 million; training and equipment raise the total toward £24.5 million. The Public Duty Costs Allowance (£115,000 per ex-premier) was claimed by seven former leaders for a combined £836,000.

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A Home Office spokesperson said the protective security system is “rigorous and proportionate.”

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Former RaSP officers warn that adding another former prime minister adds pressure to policing resources already under considerable strain. Steven Fielding argued the allowance “could potentially be means-tested.” Tony Travers of the London School of Economics called the situation “the fallout of turbulence and instability in contemporary politics” and questioned its sustainability.

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The Home Office has not disclosed a full cost breakdown. Estimates range from £12.9 million to over £24.5 million, and the exact number of officers per individual and per-officer cost remain unconfirmed, leaving a transparency gap.

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> “It is certainly the case that some former prime ministers have gone on to become very wealthy in their own right,” — Steven Fielding, emeritus professor, Nottingham University

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> “Many of them will also have applied the means testing for benefits to the wider population. So it doesn’t seem unreasonable that a similar test might be applied to their own benefits when it comes to administrative costs.” — Steven Fielding, emeritus professor, Nottingham University

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> “One former RaSP officer said: “When Starmer leaves Downing Street, there will be a scramble to find the officers to provide another security detail on top of what is already in place.” — former RaSP officer

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> “It is increasingly difficult to find officers willing to take on the responsibility of [carrying] firearms, let alone the additional training and hours it takes to reach the level required for protection work.” — former RaSP officer

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> “However, Tony Travers, professor of government practice at the London School of Economics, said: “It is extremely unlikely that a prime minister is going to take the decision to lower security provision for their predecessor.” — Tony Travers, professor of government practice, LSE

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Debates over means-testing the Public Duty Costs Allowance and the programme’s sustainability are expected to intensify as the number of former prime ministers rises. Policymakers may explore funding adjustments or contribution requirements for affluent ex-leaders.

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