The former Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, has spoken of her surprise at last week's decision to remove her armed bodyguards.
It is believed the Cabinet Office minister is no longer considered a high-risk terrorist target. The security detail was removed at midnight last Thursday.
In an interview with yesterday's Sunday Mirror, Dr Mowlam said: "I did not request my protection to be removed. I was told that my security was not high enough to require it . . . According to their assessment, I am no longer at risk. I am a bit surprised, but that is their decision."
The police officers assigned to protect former Northern Ireland secretaries are normally withdrawn only at the request of the person they are guarding.
Many former NI secretaries still have 24-hour armed protection, and the removal of Dr Mowlam's security has fed rumours that she is the victim of a whispering campaign.
The decision would have to have been approved by the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and it will be seen by many as an attempt to downgrade her political status.
According to reports in yesterday's Independent on Sunday there is growing concern in Downing Street that Dr Mowlam's battle with a brain tumour has left her unable to handle the pressures of frontline politics.
She remains one of the Labour Party's most popular figures, however, and her spokesman has rejected the reports as "nasty" and "insidious". Downing Street has also rejected the rumours, insisting that Mr Blair feels Dr Mowlam is "doing a fantastic job".
The timing has also caused surprise, coming at a critical juncture in the Northern political process and soon after an attack on the Liberal Democrats MP for Cheltenham, Mr Nigel Jones. A review of security arrangements for MPs was promised by the government following last week's assault, which left Mr Jones badly injured and his assistant, Mr Andrew Pennington, fatally wounded.