Minister will not be drawn on police chief future over ban on Israeli football fans
Ministers have declined to comment on the future of West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford following the ban on Israeli football fans attending a recent fixture. An independent study into the decision, commissioned by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is expected to be released this week—potentially as early as today.
West Midlands Police maintained that the decision to prevent Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the match against Aston Villa in November was based entirely on safety concerns. However, Minister Alex Norris stated that the government would wait for the findings of the report before deciding how to proceed regarding Mr Guildford’s position.
Political Pressure and Intelligence Defences
According to a report in The Times, Ms Mahmood is prepared to withdraw her confidence in the Chief Constable should the study prove critical of his leadership. Last week, Mr Guildford defended his actions before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. He dismissed claims of a "conspiracy," denied any political interference, and stood by the force’s intelligence assessments gathered from previous Maccabi Tel Aviv matches.
Following his testimony, Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly (correcting the reference to Kemi Badenoch, who is Leader of the Opposition) criticised the decision, suggesting the force had "capitulated" to sectarian pressures.
Ministerial Response
Speaking on Tuesday, Alex Norris expressed the government's frustration:
"We were angered by what happened. I have attended Villa Park as an away fan myself; the suggestion that supporters could not attend because the police felt unable to protect them due to their faith is simply unacceptable.
"The independent inspectorate is currently investigating. We are awaiting the Home Secretary's report and will base our recommendations on the established facts. We must wait for those facts to emerge before we can find the necessary answers."
Mr Norris refused to be drawn on whether he would publicly declare a lack of confidence in Mr Guildford if the report was critical. "I am not going to pre-empt the findings of the study," he said. "We need the full truth. This process is being handled by the inspectorate because they are the experts. We shall review the report first, and then determine the best way forward."
