Shabana Mahmood has strongly criticized the chief constable of West Midlands Police, expressing a lack of confidence in his leadership. The Home Secretary condemned what she termed a “failure of leadership” that led to the incorrect exclusion of Israeli football fans from attending a match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham last November. Mahmood unveiled new legislation empowering Home Secretaries to remove police chiefs, a right previously revoked by the former Conservative government.
Following a review initiated by Mahmood and conducted by Chief Inspector of Policing Sir Andy Cooke, she declared that she no longer supports Chief Craig Guildford of the West Midlands Police. The review findings were described as “damning,” with allegations that the police selectively sought evidence to justify their decision to ban the fans.
Mahmood highlighted that the police exaggerated the threat posed by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans while downplaying the risks faced by Israeli supporters if they attended the match. She pointed out a misinformation incident involving an “AI hallucination” that resulted in inaccurate information being presented to Members of Parliament by Guildford.
The report revealed a lack of engagement with the Jewish community in Birmingham before the ban decision, according to Mahmood. However, Birmingham Perry Barr MP Ayoub Khan objected to the decision, claiming that Guildford was being unfairly targeted. Khan argued that the police force has a history of collaborating with all communities and stood firm against community pressures.
Amid mounting pressure and calls for resignation, Guildford admitted providing misleading information to MPs, attributing the error to a Microsoft Co Pilot result. The decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the match at Villa Park was made by the local Safety Advisory Group based on police advice.
Guildford previously apologized for the misinformation, attributing it to an erroneous Google search. He acknowledged the mistake in a letter to Dame Karen Bradley, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, along with Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara. Guildford expressed regret for the error and clarified that there was no intent to mislead the Committee.
The power to dismiss Guildford lies with West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who pledged to conduct a thorough review of the decision-making process surrounding the fan ban. The Home Secretary is set to review the findings from the Chief Inspectorate and is expected to address the House of Commons on the matter later today.