UK Home Secretary loses confidence in West Midlands chief over flawed ban report, but can't fire him.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has lost confidence in West Midlands Chief Constable Craig Guildford following a damning review of the force’s intelligence behind a controversial ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match. The watchdog found errors including an AI-generated claim of a non-existent game and confirmation bias, though no antisemitism was found. Mahmood criticized leadership failures but cannot dismiss Guildford, as dismissal power now rests with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, who has not taken action and will review findings ahead of a public meeting on January 27.