Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Deferred
Given the damage caused to community relations by the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv...
Conclusion
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 the local Jewish community and have no evidence to suggest that ACC O’Hara intended to mislead the Committee on this point. More concerning is the fact that the Safety Advisory Group was incorrectly briefed on several occasions that the Jewish community had been consulted; West Midlands Police clearly believed that consulting the Community Security Trust was equivalent to consulting the Jewish community and did not attach significant priority to engaging the local community directly. This falls some way short of the level and quality of community engagement that the Birmingham residents are entitled to expect from their police service. (Conclusion, Paragraph 21)
Government response summary AI-generated
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.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The Government is grateful to the Committee for its careful consideration of the circumstances surrounding the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the UEFA Europa League match at Aston Villa in November 2025. We recognise the strength of feeling generated by these events and understand the importance of ensuring that policing decisions, particularly those that affect community confidence and perceptions of fairness, are transparent, proportionate, and grounded in reliable operational evidence. Everyone should be able to attend football matches safely. The safe delivery of matches relies on close, constructive partnership between the police, local authorities, event organisers, and communities. We take seriously concerns raised about how those responsibilities were exercised in this case, and the impact this had on local and wider communities. As the Committee notes, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for the exercise of their functions, including the conduct and performance of the force. In January, the then Chief Constable announced his intention to retire. The Police and Crime Commissioner subsequently scrutinised the circumstances surrounding the policing of the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match at his Accountability and Governance Board on 27 January, where he examined the force’s decision-making and sought assurances from the Acting Chief Constable on lessons identified. The Government welcomes the steps taken in the West Midlands to reassure the public and rebuild confidence. West Midlands Police have engaged with affected community representatives; reviewed their internal processes for intelligence assessments and operational decision-making; and committed to strengthening transparency for future high-risk matches. The Police and Crime Commissioner has also taken forward further oversight activity to ensure that concerns raised by stakeholders are properly addressed. These local actions form an important part of restoring confidence, and Government will continue to work with policing partners, the football authorities and across departments to ensure that lessons are embedded.
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