Health Secretary Wes Streeting has declared he would be "horrified" if the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, remains in his position by the end of Thursday, intensifying the pressure for his resignation following a critical report.
Mounting Pressure After Damning Report
Speaking to Times Radio, Streeting expressed shock that Guildford was still in post after a report by Sir Andy Cooke, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, found serious errors in the force's handling of intelligence. This intelligence was used to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a Europa Conference League match at Aston Villa's stadium in November.
The minister stated that Guildford had "misled parliament" and the public. "I honestly thought that anyone with integrity would at that point say 'I have to resign'," Streeting said. He added that the Chief Constable's failure to step down was a "stain on his character" that would become permanent if he did not act swiftly.
What Went Wrong in the Maccabi Fan Ban?
The inspectorate's report concluded that the threat from the visiting fans had been "greatly exaggerated" due to errors in intelligence gathering. It stated that a safety committee was left with "little or no option" but to impose the ban because it relied on this flawed police assessment.
The report attributed the misleading statements to "confirmation bias" and "carelessness rather than any deliberate distortion." It explicitly found that the decision was not motivated by antisemitism or by bowing to political pressure related to the conflict in Gaza.
In response, West Midlands Police has apologised for its errors, stating it did not deliberately distort evidence. A letter from Guildford to the Home Affairs Committee, published on Wednesday, included an apology for providing incorrect evidence that involved the use of artificial intelligence.
Political Fallout and Next Steps
The report's findings led Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to state she had lost confidence in Chief Constable Guildford—a rare and significant move not seen against a serving officer in two decades. Despite this, Guildford has clung to his role.
The power to remove him lies solely with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster. Foster has said he will consider the inspectorate's report, findings from the Home Affairs Select Committee, and will subject Guildford to public questioning at the end of July before making a final decision.
Calls for resignation are growing, with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton, and several local MPs joining the demand for Guildford to step down. The force says it is taking "immediate action" to address the issues raised in the report.
