Home secretary has no confidence in police chief who banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
The Times1 day
UK Police Chief Admits AI Error Led to Maccabi Fan Ban
Did flawed intelligence unfairly justify the ban, or was it a good-faith error made in the interest of public safety?
Above: Chief Constable Craig Guildford, of West Midlands Police, at headquarters in Birmingham on April 12, 2023. Image credit: Richard Vernalls/PA Images/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
West Midlands Police fabricated evidence and spun a pack of lies to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, capitulating to threats of Islamist extremism instead of protecting against vicious antisemitism. The force's shameful weakness led to manufactured claims about Israeli supporters, undermining public trust through deliberate deception. The chief constable must be fired immediately for this damning failure.
Narrative B
The chief constable made an honest mistake about the source of intelligence, using Microsoft Copilot rather than Google, and immediately apologized with no intention to mislead. This witch hunt throws a police leader under the bus for prioritizing public safety and community harmony when facing legitimate security concerns. An independent investigation will show the decision was not politically influenced.
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0