Of all the events where pop and country megastar Taylor Swift’s name might come up, you might not think a lecture delivered by the attorney general on the rule of law in age of populism would be one of them.

Richard Hermer KC, freshly dragged into a row over Swift being granted a police escort to her Wembley concerts, knows journalists all too well and knew they might be trouble when they walked into Gray’s Inn Hall yesterday evening.

Asked during questions if he was approached by ministers about Swift, Hermer replied that the question he feared was naming one of Swift’s songs.

Hermer pointed out that there was a convention preventing him from revealing if he has advised on any given topic let alone what that advice was. 

Had he done enough to shake off Swift? Sadly, he wasn’t out of the woods just yet and was asked about the singer again during a media huddle while guests headed upstairs for drinks.

Again, Hermer replied that he couldn’t say whether he had advised on Swift's security, let alone what that advice would have been. Fortunately, journalists weren't left with a blank space to fill as he had plenty to say on other issues.

Incidentally, we understand that Hermer did not attend a Swift concert, even at his own expense. 

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