The UK's Home Secretary has publicly called for the resignation of a senior police chief following a scathing independent review into the controversial decision to ban supporters of an Israeli football club from a match in Birmingham.
"Devastating" Report Prompts Ministerial Intervention
On Wednesday 14 January 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood addressed lawmakers, describing the findings of an inquiry into West Midlands Police's actions as "devastating." The report centred on the force's decision to prevent fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a UEFA Europa Conference League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park on 6 November 2025.
Mahmood told the Commons that the review, conducted by Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke, revealed the police had "overstated the threat posed by Maccabi fans while understating the risk to them" from travelling to the game. She stated the force's approach was characterised by "confirmation bias," where officers sought evidence to support a pre-determined decision to impose the ban rather than following the available intelligence.
A Failure of Leadership and Community Engagement
The Home Secretary was unequivocal in assigning blame. "The ultimate responsibility for the force’s failure to discharge its duties on a matter of such national importance rests with the chief constable," she declared. Consequently, Mahmood announced that Chief Constable Craig Guildford of West Midlands Police no longer had her confidence and should step down.
The report highlighted a critical lack of consultation. It found West Midlands Police had conducted "little engagement with the Jewish community and none with the Jewish community in Birmingham" before making its decision. This occurred against a tense backdrop of heightened concerns about antisemitism in Britain, following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue and calls for a sporting boycott of Israel related to the conflict in Gaza.
Political Fallout and Power Struggle
The ban was widely condemned at the time, with criticism coming from Prime Minister Keir Starmer. West Midlands Police had initially defended its action, stating the match was deemed high-risk based on intelligence and previous incidents, including violence when Maccabi played Ajax in Amsterdam.
In a significant constitutional note, Mahmood explained she lacks the direct power to fire Chief Constable Guildford due to a policy change by the previous Conservative government in 2011. That authority now rests with locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners. However, the Home Secretary signalled her intent to reinstate the power of dismissal for the home secretary in future cases of serious leadership failure.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford did not issue an immediate public comment on the report or the Home Secretary's demand for his resignation. The situation creates a major test for police accountability and the government's approach to combating antisemitism in the UK.
