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The Campaign Against Antisemitism has demanded the resignation of Simon Foster, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, following recent controversies. The immediate backdrop to these calls was the resignation of Chief Constable Craig Guildford on Friday. Guildford stepped down amid widespread criticism over the police’s decision to ban Israeli fans from attending a Europa League football match in November, involving Aston Villa. Stephen Silverman, representing the campaign group, highlighted what he described as an “institutional” problem within the police force.
Silverman criticized Foster for his handling of the situation, accusing him of delay and indecision. “The police and crime commissioner prevaricated, procrastinated, refused to get rid of Mr Guildford when it was quite clear that that was the only route possible,” he stated. Despite these demands, Foster has yet to publicly respond to the calls for his resignation. Nonetheless, Foster did express support for Guildford’s departure, stating that the former chief constable had “acted with honour and in the best interests of West Midlands Police.”
Further concerns were raised about the broader leadership within the force. Silverman suggested that the issues extended beyond Guildford alone, saying: “It seems that there is an institutional problem within the force that is not just about the chief constable.” He also pointed to the involvement of other members of Guildford’s leadership team in the controversial decision, describing the situation as a “squalid mess.” According to Silverman, new revelations suggest problems permeate the force at every level.
Independent MP Ayoub Khan, whose constituency includes the stadium where the incident occurred, defended Guildford’s treatment. Khan refuted claims that the police were unduly influenced by the Muslim community when deciding to ban Israeli fans from Birmingham. He warned against the use of divisive language, stating: “When we heard the word Islamist and thugs and all of the narratives which are being used as a broad brush used to undermine Muslims in Birmingham, we must nip this in the bud, because we know that the chief constable did not get influenced by any community.” A preliminary review by the policing watchdog later found that “confirmation bias” had affected the decision-making process. Additionally, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, highlighted inaccuracies in a West Midlands Police report, including a reference to a fixture that did not exist between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham. Following these developments, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly expressed a loss of confidence in Guildford
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