Recommendations & Conclusions
15 items
1
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Not Addressed
The interim report of Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, concluded that West Midlands Police had been subject to “confirmation bias” in their assessment of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. We agree with this judgment; our inquiry has found that despite a wealth of evidence available regarding the …
Government response. The government response discusses Safety Advisory Groups and a review of their guidance, but it does not address the conclusion regarding West Midlands Police's actions and confirmation bias in relation to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
Home Office
2
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Acknowledged
West Midlands Police failed to engage directly with the Birmingham Jewish community early enough in relation to this fixture. As a result, West Midlands Police limited their access to information that might challenge their narrative about Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and also underestimated the impact of the decision to ban …
Government response. The government acknowledges the committee's concern regarding the perception of undue influence from elected politicians and agrees that Safety Advisory Group membership should be grounded in operational, regulatory, and technical expertise; this aligns with work already underway by the UK …
Home Office
3
Recommendation
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Not Addressed
The next permanent Chief Constable of West Midlands Police should continue the work to rebuild trust with the Jewish community as a priority. (Recommendation, Paragraph 18)
Government response. The government response discusses Safety Advisory Groups and the designation of events with 'national significance' but fails to address the recommendation that the next Chief Constable of West Midlands Police should continue to rebuild trust with the Jewish community as …
Home Office
4
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Deferred
Given the damage caused to community relations by the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, it is surprising and disappointing that Assistant Chief Constable O’Hara was not more precise in his remarks about whether Jewish representatives had supported the ban. However, we note his personal apology to representatives of …
Government response. The government is considering a formal escalation mechanism for Safety Advisory Group recommendations but will wait for the UK Resilience Academy's review of Safety Advisory Group guidance and HMICFRS inspection before exploring the issue further.
Home Office
5
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Former Chief Constable Guildford was not informed ahead of giving oral evidence on 6 January that Microsoft Copilot AI had been used to generate the erroneous information about a match between West Ham and Maccabi Tel Aviv. On this basis we can only conclude that the former Chief Constable did …
Home Office
6
Recommendation
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Accepted
Promoting a culture of transparency and attention to detail should be a priority for both the Acting Chief Constable and next permanent Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to address. (Recommendation, Paragraph 25) 22 The role of the Safety Advisory Group
Government response. Local authorities already have the discretion to determine Safety Advisory Group composition, and the UK Resilience Academy review of Safety Advisory Group guidance will set out its position on political involvement.
Home Office
7
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Deferred
It is particularly surprising that firm challenge was not applied given the political sensitivity of this decision. The Safety Advisory Group recognised this in asking West Midlands Police for a clearer recommendation and clearer justification to exclude away fans. However, the Safety Advisory Group clearly lacked the ability to consider …
Government response. The government acknowledges the limitations of Safety Advisory Groups in politicized situations and is reviewing SAG guidance to ensure members can challenge effectively, but does not recommend introducing a formal escalation mechanism until cross-government partners and stakeholders fully explore the …
Home Office
8
Recommendation
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Deferred
The Cabinet Office’s review of guidance to Safety Advisory Groups should identify whether more guidance is needed on the level of challenge that Safety Advisory Groups should be resourced to provide. The Government should also consider whether an escalation process is required in the rare cases where the decisions of …
Government response. The government is undertaking a review of Safety Advisory Group guidance but defers introducing a formal escalation mechanism until issues have been fully explored, including the designation of events of national significance; ongoing work will inform this consideration.
Home Office
9
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Accepted
While we cannot conclude that the Safety Advisory Group’s decision was made because of political pressure, on the basis of the evidence we have seen we also cannot conclude with any confidence that the decision was not politically influenced. It is clear that on this occasion councillors, with a stated …
Government response. The government agrees that Safety Advisory Group membership should be grounded in expertise and states local authorities already have discretion over SAG composition, aligning with the UK Resilience Academy review of SAG guidance which will set out its position on …
Home Office
10
Recommendation
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government takes the necessary steps to ensure that elected politicians cannot sit on Safety Advisory Groups. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35) 23 Response of the Home Office and Government
Government response. The government agrees that the membership of Safety Advisory Groups should continue to be grounded in operational, regulatory and technical expertise, and the new guidance from the UK Resilience Academy will set out its position on political involvement given the …
Home Office
11
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Acknowledged
While the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was not involved in the Safety Advisory Group process, and it is right that the principle of operational independence is respected, the West Midlands PCC appeared to prioritise defending the Chief Constable above holding him to account, until this approach proved untenable with …
Government response. The government notes the Police and Crime Commissioner's responsibility and subsequent scrutiny of the Chief Constable's actions, including seeking assurances on lessons identified.
Home Office
12
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Deferred
The principle of police operational independence is an extremely important one, so it is right that Ministers are cautious about intervening in police decision-making. However, by intervening only after the decision to ban away fans was taken, the Government increased tension around the fixture but was ineffectual in enabling Maccabi …
Government response. The government is considering whether a formal designation mechanism could strengthen cross-government coordination for events that may present exceptional challenges but will await a HMICFRS report before finalising proposals or setting out next steps.
Home Office
13
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Acknowledged
Given the international context and location of this fixture, it may have been proportionate to designate this fixture as one of national significance, had the recommendation of Baroness Casey been adopted. (Conclusion, Paragraph 48)
Government response. The government acknowledges the need to examine whether national-level support and coordination could be improved for events with risks extending beyond the local footprint, and is developing options to test with stakeholders, but will await the HMICFRS report before finalizing …
Home Office
14
Recommendation
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Deferred
The Government should give serious consideration to the proposal to introduce a new category for football matches of national significance, with a process for designation, to provide a stronger basis for intervention in the future. (Recommendation, Paragraph 49) 24 Conclusion
Government response. The government recognises the Committee's interest in designating events of national significance, but defers action pending the outcome of an HMICFRS report and further development of options to test with policing, local authorities, and event organisers.
Home Office
15
Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Acknowledged
This incident has caused serious damage to trust in West Midlands Police, particularly among the local Jewish community, as well as to public confidence in the effectiveness of the force. Assistant Chief Constable O’Hara told us that there was no conspiracy to ban away fans, and we have seen no …
Government response. The government welcomes the West Midlands Police's actions to reassure the public and rebuild confidence, including engaging with community representatives, reviewing internal processes, and strengthening transparency, and will continue to work with partners to ensure lessons are embedded.
Home Office