Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Conclusion 9
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
Published 22 Feb 2026
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Football Policing All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
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 political aim, had a disproportionate opportunity to influence Safety Advisory Group decision-making on a deeply divisive political issue. While the presence of elected politicians on Safety Advisory Groups has potential benefits in terms of local representation, it also risks decision- making becoming politically motivated, undermining trust in the process. It is right given the role of the Safety Advisory Group in this matter that the Government is conducting a review of Safety Advisory Group governance. (Conclusion, Paragraph 34)
From: Home Affairs Committee, 5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban (HC 1553), 22 February 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 29 April 2026 (deadline 22 April 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government sets out work under way on Safety Advisory Group guidance and on a possible designation of events of national significance, but does not recommend a formal escalation mechanism "at this stage".
- A Cabinet Office-owned UK Resilience Academy review of Safety Advisory Group guidance "will result in the publication of new guidance", intended to strengthen members' ability to challenge effectively; no publication date is given.
- On escalation, consideration is being given to whether a "clear and proportionate mechanism" is needed, but any such process would require agreement across government on thresholds, decision-making responsibilities and how intervention would operate.
- On elected politicians sitting on Safety Advisory Groups, the government "agrees" membership should continue to be grounded in operational, regulatory and technical expertise, notes local authorities already have discretion over composition, and says the new guidance "will set out its position on political involvement".
- On a new category of football matches of national significance, officials are working across departments to consider options, but the government "will take account" of the HMICFRS findings, expected shortly, "before finalising proposals or setting out next steps".