Home Secretary now urged to SACK West Midlands Police chief for 'failing to protect Jews from mob' in Birmingham

A mass outcry then followed, with Sir Keir Starmer, Israel's Foreign Minister, and the leaders of Reform UK, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats all condemning the move.

Now, Reform's East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger has called on the Home Secretary to step in.

Mr Kruger has said that, if necessary, Shabana Mahmood should invoke Section 40 of the Police Act 1996 and sack WMP's Chief Constable Craig Guildford.

Under the Act, the Home Secretary can step in to prevent police from "failing to discharge its functions in an effective manner".

Mr Kruger said: "The call for Israeli fans to be banned from attending a football match at Villa Park is outrageous, and the decision of West Midlands Police to effectively agree to a ban is totally reprehensible.

"If the police could not guarantee the safety of Jewish visitors because of antisemitism among the local Muslim population they should have banned the game itself - not yielded to the mob."

The force, however, pointed to clashes and "hate crime offences" in Amsterdam last year between the Israeli side and Dutch outfit Ajax to justify the ban on away fans.

In a statement published late on Thursday night, WMP said classfying the game as "high risk" was the right move and would help "mitigate risks to public safety".

In September, local MP Ayoub Khan, elected as a pro-Gaza independent, had launched his bid to "urgently cancel this fixture or take immediate steps to ensure public safety and community harmony".

After the fan ban, he hailed how residents and businesses' concerns had been heeded, adding that he was "very pleased" by Aston Villa's and the police's decision.

His independent colleague Iqbal Mohamed added: "Thank you all who put the safety of Aston Villa fans, Birmingham residents and the British public above the Zionist and political pressure to let Israeli hooligans and terrorists run riot in our country."

BRITAIN'S JEWS THREATENED? READ MORE:

• Doctor who made 'slit throat' gesture towards Jews to face second tribunal after being allowed to keep job
• Inside NEW surge of antisemitism sweeping through Britain as UK Jews issue urgent warning over 'brainwashing' - 'We cannot wait another day!'
• Keir Starmer warns 'hatred rising once again' after synagogue attack in address to nation
  

But cross-party condemnation of the ban soon followed.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar labelled it a "shameful decision" and called on British authorities to "reverse this coward decision".

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called it a "serious mistake by West Midlands Police".

Reform chief Nigel Farage said the ban "takes racial discrimination to a whole new level".

While Kemi Badenoch labelled it a "national disgrace" and challenged the PM to "use the full force of his Government to prove... he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community".

Her Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick added: "Last week, I was attacked for pointing out that parts of Birmingham were a failure of integration.

"But now, Israeli football fans are banned from watching their team play at Villa Park as the police can’t guarantee their safety.

"Maybe I wasn’t wrong after all."

Green Party leader Zack Polanski had not commented on the ban by the end of Thursday.

Though Zarah Sultana, the co-leader of Jeremy Corbyn's "Your Party", called for European football's governing body Uefa to ban all Israeli teams.

The full WMP statement read: "West Midlands Police has a strong track record of successfully policing football matches and other high-risk public events.

"We are committed to delivering fair and impartial policing, while balancing the public’s right to protest with our duty to ensure public safety.

"Following a thorough assessment, we have classified the upcoming Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk.

"We have actively engaged with a wide range of local partners and community representatives in preparation for this fixture, and continue to participate in the Safety Advisory Group.

"While the Safety Certificate is issued by Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police supports the decision to prohibit away supporters from attending.

"This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Uefa Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.

"Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety.

"We remain steadfast in our support all affected communities, and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance on hate crime in all its forms."