The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, is fighting to keep his job following an explosive confrontation with the Home Secretary, triggered by a damning report into the force's decision to ban Jewish football supporters from a match.
Unprecedented Political Standoff Over Police Leadership
In an extraordinary move not seen in over two decades, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly declared she had lost confidence in Chief Constable Craig Guildford. This came after she read what she described as a 'devastating' report by Sir Andy Cooke, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary. The report detailed widespread failings in how West Midlands Police handled the proposed visit of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to a game against Aston Villa in Birmingham last November.
Despite intense cross-party pressure for him to step down, Mr Guildford defied the calls. Sources close to the chief constable indicated he intended to 'see out the week', hoping the controversy would 'blow over'. The Home Secretary admitted she lacks the direct legal power to dismiss him, a responsibility that rests solely with the local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Simon Foster.
A Catalogue of 'Devastating' Failures
Sir Andy Cooke's blistering 11-page audit found that senior police officers fabricated and exaggerated evidence to justify banning the Israeli football fans. The force overstated threats, cited inaccurate links between fans and the Israeli Defence Forces, and falsely claimed there would be targeting of Muslim communities and flag burnings.
As backlash grew—with the Prime Minister labelling the ban 'wrong'—the force then misled the public about its reasoning. In a particularly embarrassing revelation, the report noted the police even used an 'AI hallucination' as evidence, referencing a non-existent match to support the ban. Hours before the report's publication, Mr Guildford was forced to apologise for misleading MPs to whom he had given evidence on the matter.
Addressing the Commons, Ms Mahmood stated: 'We have witnessed a failure of leadership that has harmed the reputation of and eroded public confidence in West Midlands police, and policing more broadly.' She emphasised that the failures did not just affect the travelling fans but 'let down our entire Jewish community' in the West Midlands and across the country.
Political Pressure Mounts as PCC Delays Decision
Following the Home Secretary's statement, MPs from all major parties united in demanding Mr Guildford's removal. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the 'shameful episode', accusing the force of having 'capitulated to the Islamist mob'. Labour MPs from the West Midlands, including Gurinder Singh Josan and Antonia Bance, joined calls for the chief constable to resign immediately.
However, PCC Simon Foster, a former solicitor, refused to be rushed. He said he would defer his decision until giving the report's findings 'full and proper consideration' ahead of a public meeting with the Chief Constable scheduled for the end of the month. This stance has led to a tense political deadlock.
Frustrated by the limitations of her power, Home Secretary Mahmood signalled her intent to reclaim the authority to sack chief constables in the future. The last comparable intervention by a Home Secretary was in 2004, when David Blunkett suspended Humberside's chief constable over the Soham murders case.
In a statement, West Midlands Police apologised for the 'unintentional nature of our errors' and the impact on communities, but pointedly did not address the future of its chief constable. The force insisted that none of the actions were done with 'an intent of deliberate distortion or discrimination'.
