The Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, is facing mounting demands for his resignation following the controversial retirement of the region's chief constable.
Pressure Mounts Over Failure to Sack Chief
Simon Foster was condemned as 'weak' for not dismissing Chief Constable Craig Guildford after the Home Secretary and numerous MPs had called for the police chief to step down. As the PCC, Mr Foster was the sole official with the power to remove the chief constable from his post.
The controversy stems from West Midlands Police's handling of a decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa Europa Conference League match at Villa Park in November last year. The force was accused of misleading the public and Parliament over the reasons for the ban.
Outrage Over 'Pitiful Failure' and Praise for 'Honour'
The situation escalated when Mr Foster chose not to sack Mr Guildford and instead praised his 'honour' upon announcing his retirement yesterday. This move provoked further fury from critics and campaign groups.
Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, stated: 'Under Craig Guildford’s leadership, West Midlands Police lied and obfuscated, victim-blaming Jews instead of taking on the Islamists.' He argued that the retirement, following the PCC's failure to act, 'should result in the resignation of Mr Foster as well.'
Senior political figures joined the criticism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'A chief constable cannot bow to the demands of an Islamist mob and then mislead Parliament and stay in their job. I am glad he is now “retiring” but it’s extraordinary that the Labour PCC and the Home Secretary didn’t just sack him.'
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp labelled Mr Foster 'too weak to act' and described the chief constable's decision to retire as 'simply not good enough.'
Further Controversy Linked to Advisor's Remarks
In a related development, it emerged that during the week the Maccabi fans were banned, one of Mr Foster's own advisors was forced to apologise for inflammatory remarks.
Bushra Bi, a Labour councillor and former lady mayoress of Birmingham, caused outrage among Jewish groups in November 2023. In an email exchange with other Birmingham Labour councillors, she suggested Sir Keir Starmer was biased towards Israel 'because his wife is Jewish.'
The series of events has placed intense scrutiny on leadership within the West Midlands force and the political oversight provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner, with many now questioning Mr Foster's position.
