Closed petition Make police escorts and security for former MPs and Prime Ministers means tested

Closed on 26 August 2012

Former MPs, government ministers and prime ministers are being provided with police protection funded by the taxpayer. The cost of this increases when the subject in question puts themselves in harm's way during frequent foreign trips resulting in a reported bill of £6million/year to protect just one former prime minister whose own estimated income from such trips overseas would allow him to fully fund or at least contribute to this protection himself.

Such protection should be funded by the protectee insofar as they can reasonably afford to do so themselves, removing an unnecessary burden from the public pocket that is being abused by the beneficiaries for personal gain. Such protection should also not be provided by the taxpayer for protectees who are willfully placing themselves in more dangerous situations for personal profit.