LRInteresting. So Manchester provides the escort - presumably because it wants the revenues and perhaps even the kudos. Just how do they do this without assuming some responsibility?
Perhaps a tablet of stone delivered to the captain. "You taxi at your own risk."
Now you're just being silly.
It matters not if it is an A380 or a Cessna 150. If it's being marshalled or using a 'follow me', it's still the aeroplane drivers final responsibility not to hit anything. The size of the aircraft is utterly irrelevant. Procedures exist the world over for specific aircraft smaller than A380's. Kudos or any of that other BS doesn't come into it, the responsibility of the marshaller and aircrew are the same, they're just using different equipment.
'Marshallers' have training and procedures to provide safe guidance regardless of the size of aircraft, they have a responsibility/duty of care to do just that. They are not infallible, therefore the Captain must satisfy himself that the guidance provided is appropriate, and stop/query it if unhappy. This doesn't just apply to aircrew it applies to 'tuggies' and 'spanner w###ers' riding the brakes of an aircraft under tow. If an incident occurs then the operations staff will
probably have to take a share of the blame, but that 'share' will depend on each
individual circumstance.
The captain is unliklely to get off without
any liability in a ground incident where his aircraft hits another object, because he taxi's at his own risk.