Health Secretary Wes Streeting has declared he would be "horrified" if the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police remains in his position by the end of Thursday, intensifying the pressure on the senior officer to step down. Streeting described Craig Guildford's refusal to resign following a critical report as a "stain on his character."
Mounting Pressure Over Misleading Evidence
The crisis stems from a damning report by Sir Andy Cooke, the chief inspector of constabulary, into the force's handling of a decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a Europa Conference League match at Aston Villa in November. The inspectorate found the threat from the fans was "greatly exaggerated" due to errors in intelligence gathering.
Speaking to Times Radio, Streeting expressed his shock that Guildford was still in post. "I am absolutely shocked that he is still in post," the minister said. "I genuinely thought that, having misled parliament, that having misled the public, and having had one of his own local MPs, the home secretary, saying she had lost confidence in him, I honestly thought that anyone with integrity would at that point say: 'I have to resign.'"
A Report That Shook Confidence
The inspector's report concluded that misleading statements by the force were the result of "confirmation bias" and "carelessness rather than any deliberate distortion." It explicitly stated the errors were not due to antisemitism or political pressure related to the conflict in Gaza. However, the flawed intelligence left the local safety advisory group with "little or no option" but to impose the ban.
This led Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to state she had lost confidence in Chief Constable Guildford—a rare and powerful move not seen against a serving officer in two decades. In response to the findings, West Midlands Police apologised and stated it was taking "immediate action" to address the issues. Guildford himself apologised for providing incorrect evidence gathered using artificial intelligence.
What Happens Next?
Despite the political storm, the power to remove the chief constable lies solely with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster. Foster has indicated he will consider the inspectorate's report, findings from the Home Affairs Select Committee, and will publicly question Guildford at the end of July before making a final decision.
Calls for resignation are not limited to Westminster. The West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton, and several local MPs have also urged Guildford to step aside. As the day progresses, all eyes are on the chief constable and whether he will heed the mounting demands for his resignation.
