West Midlands police boss declines to sack chief constable amid ‘damning’ review
PCC Simon Foster has said he listened to Shabana Mahmood’s statement on Wednesday and awaits a parliamentary report over the matter.
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) has declined to sack his chief constable who lost the confidence of the Home Secretary over the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa.
In a statement, PCC Simon Foster said he listened to Shabana Mahmood’s statement on Wednesday and awaits a parliamentary report over the matter before considering the position of Chief Constable Craig Guildford.
The Home Secretary told MPs that findings by the policing watchdog into the force’s intelligence gathering show “confirmation bias” over the decision to bar the Israeli football team from attending Villa Park in November.
She said that there had been “a failure of leadership” and that the report by chief inspector of constabulary Sir Andy Cooke had been “damning”.
Ms Mahmood added: “The ultimate responsibility for the force’s failure to discharge its duties on a matter of such national importance rests with the chief constable, and it is for that reason that I must declare today that the chief constable of West Midlands Police no longer has my confidence.”
But she expressed her frustration that she was not able to sack chief constable Mr Guildford herself, a power she said was removed from the home secretary’s remit during the coalition government’s reforms which introduced police and crime commissioners in 2011.
Currently the power to sack Mr Guildford lies with PCC Mr Foster.
He said he had not seen the letter from Sir Andy setting out his “preliminary views” before Wednesday and “must now give it careful and detailed consideration”.
“I acknowledge, recognise and understand the significant strength of feeling that is shared by many people, including myself, in connection with this contentious issue,” Mr Foster said.
“It is my statutory duty to hold the chief constable to account for the totality of policing in the West Midlands.
“In order to give all these issues full and proper consideration, I will be taking this matter to a meeting of my accountability and governance board, held in public, on Tuesday 27 January 2026 and asking questions of the chief constable.
“In consideration of these matters, it is vital that all involved act in accordance with due process and the law at all times.”
He added that the letter is not the final watchdog report and describes how Sir Andy’s views “may develop or change as more information is gathered”.
Mr Foster is also awaiting the report from the Home Affairs Committee, where Mr Guildford has appeared twice to give evidence over the controversy and apologise over errors in his evidence.
Mr Guildford has faced mounting pressure and calls to resign amid increasing scrutiny over the ban.
Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton and the Campaign Against Antisemitism urged for him to stand down or be sacked after the Home Secretary’s statement.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews also called on Mr Foster to dismiss Mr Guildford “without delay”.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were barred from travelling to the game at Villa Park by the local Safety Advisory Group (Sag), which cited safety concerns based on advice from the police force.
The policing watchdog’s review found eight “inaccuracies” in a report from the force to Birmingham’s Sag, including a reference to a non-existent game between Tel Aviv and West Ham, found to be an “AI hallucination” produced by Microsoft Copilot.
Other inaccuracies included overstating the number of Dutch police officers deployed during the match, claims fans were linked to the Israeli Defence Forces, claims Muslim communities had been intentionally targeted by Tel Aviv fans and reports of multiple Dutch police officers being injured in the disorder.
Mr Guildford has insisted the decision was not politically influenced.
The policing watchdog’s review said there is “no evidence” antisemitism played a part in the force’s decision to ban the Israeli team’s fans, but added there was an “imbalance” in the information the force used to inform its decision.
