← Back to House of Commons Debates
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Away Fans Ban 2025-12-08
08 December 2025
Lead MP
Nick Timothy
Debate Type
Urgent Question
Tags
Policing & Resources
Other Contributors: 16
At a Glance
Nick Timothy raised concerns about maccabi tel aviv fc away fans ban 2025-12-08 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm the adequacy of the evidence on which West Midland police took decisions relating to the Aston Villa versus Maccabi Tel Aviv match? The decision has caused significant concern and disappointment, questioning the intelligence gathering and community engagement led by West Midlands Police.
Nick Timothy
Con
West Suffolk
Question
Did the Policing Minister believe the evidence that the police presented to the Committee? Secondly, have the police replied to the letter she sent to them two weeks ago? Thirdly, will she guarantee the publication of all relevant information and correspondence? Fourthly, does the chief constable retain her confidence as Policing Minister and the confidence of the Home Secretary?
Minister reply
I do not want to express judgment here when we have a thorough process ongoing. The police responded to me; yes, they did. I can put that into the public domain if requested. We will publish relevant documentation provided it does not compromise security or investigations. Regarding my confidence in the chief constable, I see some good work from West Midlands Police but need clarity on this specific issue.
Peter Prinsley
Lab
Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Question
Does the Minister agree that at the heart of this matter is the question of truth, and whether the deliberation of the safety advisory group was compromised?
Minister reply
Safety advisory groups were set up many years ago in a different context. We need to look at how police intelligence and information are fed into those groups. HMICFRS will review West Midlands Police by year-end and provide wider guidance on significant events.
Matt Vickers
Con
Stockton West
Question
Why was the decision taken to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans? Will the Minister ensure that details are made public for full transparency?
Minister reply
The Prime Minister and Government view this decision as wrong. HMICFRS will review the intelligence in two stages, one specific to West Midlands Police by year-end, and a wider review of risk assessment advice to safety advisory groups by March.
Max Wilkinson
Lib Dem
Cheltenham
Question
This has been a sorry saga from the very beginning. Will the Minister commit to support the setting up of independent inquiries if necessary, and can they assure us that the Jewish community remains part of the process for the community cohesion strategy?
Minister reply
Of course I will come to this place and make sure that the House has all the information it needs to draw its own conclusions. The Cabinet Office is updating guidance on safety advisory groups to look at new national minimum standards for decision-making processes, evidence recording, and accountability.
Laurence Turner
Lab
Birmingham Northfield
Question
Are the Minister looking at new national minimum standards for how decisions are made through safety advisory groups?
Minister reply
The Cabinet Office is updating guidance on safety advisory groups and it is looking at exactly those kinds of issues. There is a wider point about the need to reference, account for and minute decisions when they are made and to record how they are made.
Karen Bradley
Con
Staffordshire Moorlands
Question
Can the Minister share any correspondence with the Home Affairs Committee? Does she share my incredulity that a decision was taken on the basis of an unminuted Zoom call and subsequent social media scraping?
Minister reply
I want HMICFRS to go through its proper process and come to a conclusion. It would not be right for me to base my conclusion on the evidence I have before me. But it is absolutely right that HMICFRS looks at this matter thoroughly and comes back to us, and we will take whatever action is required afterwards.
Chris Murray
Lab
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Question
What are the Minister’s thoughts on how this issue impacts the principle of policing by consent?
Minister reply
Policing by consent is the bedrock of our policing, but when we get something wrong, public confidence in that model can be shaken. We need to ensure we take appropriate steps so that we can restore and maintain trust.
Andrew Mitchell
Con
Sutton Coldfield
Question
Does the Minister agree that it is not only the Jewish community who have been let down, but all of us in Birmingham? Does she accept that this looks like a maladroit political decision rather than a policy decision?
Minister reply
I know that my right hon. Friend's community wants answers. We need to get to the bottom of it and respond appropriately.
Gareth Snell
Labour/Co-op
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Question
Can the Minister confirm whether UEFA was present at the safety advisory group meeting, and what advice did they give? Can she say what UEFA’s general advice is on banning fans?
Minister reply
As far as I am aware, UEFA was not in the SAG meeting. The decision about whether the event should go ahead was taken locally.
Jo White
Lab
Bassetlaw
Question
Why have no safety advisory group minutes been produced? How many times did the SAG meet on this issue? Will the Minister ask whether there was a UEFA representative at the meeting, and what their advice was?
Minister reply
I cannot answer my hon. Friend’s question as how many times the safety advisory group was meeting was slightly unclear to us at the Home Office because our relationship with the SAG is through UK football organisation. We were receiving information in a slightly ad hoc way, according to when we asked for that information. Of course, I am very happy to go back and ask questions about who was there.
Steve Barclay
Con
North East Cambridgeshire
Question
Why is it taking so long to get simple answers on something of concern across the House?
Minister reply
We have been clear from the minute this decision was made that we believe it to be the wrong decision, and we worked tirelessly afterwards. There were lots of conversations across Government and locally as well. We then asked HMICFRS to look at this properly so that we can shine a light on what happened and what has gone wrong.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Will the Minister guarantee to the House that whatever lessons are learned will be communicated in the strongest terms to chief constables of all police forces?
Minister reply
Yes, I can absolutely assure the right hon. Gentleman that we will learn whatever lessons we need to learn and take whatever action we need to take, applying this across all forces.
Charlie Dewhirst
Con
Bridlington and The Wolds
Question
Is the Minister aware of any representations made by UEFA in advance of the fixture?
Minister reply
I was not a party to conversations between Aston Villa and UEFA, nor was I a party to the decision-making process. The Government have no political involvement whatsoever in SAG processes.
Gavin Williamson
Con
Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
Question
Can the Minister reassure the House that there was absolutely no local political interference in making this decision?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman knows I cannot tell him the motivation for decisions made. The Prime Minister’s clear view is that the decision by SAG was wrong and must not happen again, particularly if there are issues of national significance.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
What assessment has the Minister made of the choice that was made and steps that should have been taken to ensure fair treatment based on correct evidence?
Minister reply
We have been clear all along that we believe a wrong decision was made, risking sending an awful message to Jewish people around the world. We need to get to the bottom of why this happened and ensure it does not happen again.
Government Response
I acknowledge the concern and disappointment caused by the decision to ban away fans at Villa Park. The House is aware of the evidence given by Chief Constable Craig Guildford, Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara and police and crime commissioner Simon Foster to the Home Affairs Committee. I confirm that HMICFRS will review how forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local safety advisory groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. A specific update on the intelligence gathered by West Midlands police on this matter will be provided by the end of the year.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.