Summit policing costs must be repaid

Policing the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow could cost more than £200m, Police Scotland’s chief constable warned as he insisted the force must not be left out of pocket.

Iain Livingstone said the figure is a “very indicative” estimate of the cost of policing the UN summit in November.

An estimated 90,000 people, including around 200 world leaders, are expected to take part in the conference.

Police also believe a climate change march planned to coincide with the summit could attract up to 500,000 demonstrators.

At a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), Mr Livingstone said the cost of policing the summit highlights the “significance and magnitude” of the event.

Police officers will be brought into Scotland from every force in the country, the SPA meeting was told, with the cost of housing them potentially running into tens of millions of pounds.

“There cannot be detriment to the funding of the police service in Scotland as a result of us delivering on the United Kingdom Government’s intention to host this conference on climate change in Glasgow,” Mr Livingstone insisted.

“I’m not being ridiculous in seeking full cost recovery, I am being absolutely legitimate for the public purse and for the police service.”

The Scottish Government has already insisted the UK Government should pick up the bill for policing the summit.

Mr Livingstone said COP26 will be “one of the biggest events ever hosted in the UK.

The summit runs from November 9-20, but Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said police will need to “stand up the full policing operation” at least two weeks before that.

Picture: Scottish Parliament. Chief Constable Livingstone.