The independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, has launched a robust defence of the region's most senior police officer, claiming a concerted 'witch hunt' is underway to end his career.
Public Safety or Political Pressure?
Mr Khan reacted with anger to calls for West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford to be removed from his post. The demands follow controversy over the force's decision to ban fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a match against Aston Villa at Villa Park last year.
Critics, including some MPs, have alleged that Mr Guildford succumbed to pressure from local 'Islamists' to implement the ban. However, Ayoub Khan, who was elected in 2024 on a pro-Palestine platform, insists the move was made solely on 'public safety grounds'.
He accused too many politicians of using the affair to stir up division and to launch further attacks on Muslim communities in Birmingham, wrongly painting them as universally antisemitic.
A 'Chilling Message' for Policing
Mr Khan warned that forcing the chief constable out due to political interference would send a 'chilling message' to other police forces across the country. He made his comments on the same day that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepared to address the House of Commons on the matter.
Her statement was expected to reveal key findings from a report by the police watchdog, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. The report, by chief inspector Sir Andy Cooke, is understood to conclude that the force made a series of errors in how it gathered and handled intelligence related to the match.
Earlier that day, Chief Constable Guildford published a letter of apology to the chair of the Home Affairs Committee for misleading MPs during two appearances before them. The apologies concerned the force's use of AI when gathering intelligence about the match, marking the second time senior officers have had to apologise for not telling the truth to the committee.
Errors Admitted, But Motive Defended
While acknowledging that errors were made, MP Ayoub Khan argued that some MPs had prejudged the situation. "They did what they are accusing the chief constable of - finding evidence to fit their assumption," he told BirminghamLive.
He firmly believes the decision was based on concerns for public safety, encompassing both the risk of attacks by Maccabi fans and attacks on them. "This was always going to pose different challenges than a typical football match," he stated, referencing the wider geopolitical context.
Mr Khan expressed deep concern that some MPs had used the incident to push divisive and islamophobic narratives. He found it particularly troubling that police consultation with him, as the local MP for Villa Park, was portrayed as suspicious evidence of 'political interference'.
He also questioned the impartiality of the Home Affairs Committee, noting its composition included members of Labour and Conservative Friends of Israel groups and the spouse of the government's advisor on antisemitism, Lord Mann.
Conservative MP Nick Timothy and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch have both called for Mr Guildford's dismissal. The power to sack him rests with West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who has said he will await the completion of two ongoing reviews before deciding.
At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Timothy labelled the ban an example of police 'pandering' to Islamists and called for a wider review.
In response, Mr Khan said: "I hear the concerns about antisemitism but I would say that if any community has been vilified here it is the Muslim community in Birmingham... The Islamophobic rhetoric now being used is causing deep harm."
He also criticised the Home Office for not intervening earlier when they knew a ban was being considered. "It's now become a witch hunt and it won't surprise me if the chief constable goes," he concluded, warning of a 'trial by media' with intelligence being fed from MPs, which poses a threat to future policing and community cohesion.
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has also voiced concern over the role of MPs in briefing against the chief constable.
