Shabana Mahmood has been urged to take the “nuclear option” and sack the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.
Pressure is piling on Craig Guildford after a series of reports – and a Home Affairs Select Committee appearance – revealed major doubts at the intelligence his force used to ban Israeli fans from an Aston Villa game in November.
Committee members are said to be “unanimous in their disappointment” at the evidence given by police last week.
One MP told The Times that sacking him would be the “nuclear option” – but there was now “no other option” if it was confirmed that the force had given a misleading account.
Ms Mahmood is keeping all options on the table, according to the newspaper.
The MP said: “I do believe strongly in the principle of police operational independence, but when you’ve got a community that’s lost all faith in its police force, and the potential that they have misled parliament, and it’s looking that way at the moment, then I don’t see any other option for the Home Secretary.”
She could invoke Section 40 of the Police Act 1996 and sack the police chief.
Under the Act, the Home Secretary can step in to prevent police from “failing to discharge its functions in an effective manner”.
Sir Andy Cooke, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, is looking into the force’s handling of the game.
Sir Andy is set to report to Ms Mahmood within days – and his findings will then be shared with Parliament.
“Whatever happens, I don’t see this ending well,” the MP said.
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RECAP: What happened in Birmingham, and why is Craig Guildford facing calls to be sacked?
The row over the Israeli fan ban centres on a meeting between West Midlands Police and Dutch police after violence in Amsterdam in 2024.
When Maccabi Tel Aviv played away at Ajax, violent clashes broke out.
The force said Maccabi fans had targeted Muslim communities – but Amsterdam police disputed that, saying Maccabi supporters were themselves targeted.
British officers told councillors and MPs that their Dutch counterparts had warned that the Israeli supporters would pose serious risks in Birmingham.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wrote to MPs saying those claims were “nonsensical” and did not match the published accounts of the fixture in 2024.
The Home Affairs Committee has since demanded the full recordings of that meeting and the evidence used to justify the ban.
Dutch police have also been asked to give evidence directly to MPs, while Mr Guildford could be recalled for a third time to face a Select Committee grilling.
West Midlands Police is set to submit a “high volume” of material this week, but MPs warned that the force has already failed to explain holes in its evidence – despite two previous appearances before MPs.
Home Office reacts as Shabana Mahmood urged to take ‘nuclear option’
A Home Office spokesman said in response to reports Shabana Mahmood has been urged to sack WMP chief Craig Guildford: “The Government has been clear throughout that we disagreed with the decision to ban away fans from the match in November.
“We should not be a country where we tell people to stay away from certain events because we cannot protect them, or they may be a victim of racism.
“That is why the Home Secretary asked the inspectorate to investigate how the decision was reached.
“We cannot comment further until the Home Secretary has received the chief inspectorate’s findings and considered them.”