Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Acknowledged
This incident has caused serious damage to trust in West Midlands Police, particularly among the...
Conclusion
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 evidence of such. However, we cannot rule out the suggestion that political pressure played a part in the decision. West Midlands Police were clearly scarred by the visit of Legia Warsaw fans in 2023 and understandably wished to avoid the risk of similar disorder. This risk mitigation, combined with local political pressure and community tensions related to the international situation, led to the exceptional decision to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. West Midlands Police were warned that their preliminary recommendation would be badly received and should have been more careful in their subsequent due diligence and adopted a more robust approach to interrogating their initial findings, as well as been more transparent about the reasons for recommending a ban. Instead, evidence was selected partially in order to justify the ban, and West Midlands Police were overly reliant on inaccurate and unverified information about the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. This has undermined faith in the competence of West Midlands Police and provided a basis for those questioning their motivation. It is right that former Chief Constable Guildford has retired so that West Midlands Police can begin to address the loss of trust and confidence that has resulted from this episode. (Conclusion, Paragraph 50) 25
Government Response Summary
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.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
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.