Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and local councillors had chance to speak out but stayed silent
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and city councillors Waseem Zaffar, left, and Mumtaz Hussain, right, with MP Ayoub Khan, all caught up in Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban row
There were at least two opportunities for Birmingham politicians including the Home Secretary to intervene in the Maccabi Tel Aviv Villa Park security row before the controversial ban decision – but nobody acted, BirminghamLive can reveal today.
Shabana Mahmood, whose Birmingham Ladywood constituency border lies a mile from Villa Park, appears to have made no attempt to reassure West Midlands Police’s chief constable that extra resources would be there if needed when he flagged that he was wrestling with security concerns around the Europa League match between the Israeli champions and Villa.
Days later, three city councillors had a chance to challenge the force’s eventual recommendation to ban away fans at a critical decision-making meeting.
READ MORE: Inside Villa Maccabi ban row as Birmingham council leader reveals he ‘warned police chief not to’
But they ‘stayed silent’, according to insiders present, and supported the consensus view that the ban was right and proportionate, given the reputation of an element of Maccabi’s fans and the potential for the game to be a lightning rod for protest.
Two of the trio present had already publicly voiced their opposition to the presence of the Israeli club in the competition at all and had been pressing for a ban. Neither recused themselves from the discussions.
A U-turn is now widely predicted, with the West Midlands force currently reviewing its decision under pressure from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, who have proclaimed it ‘ the wrong decision’ and potentially ‘antisemitic’.
BirminghamLive inquiries have confirmed Mahmood was personally informed by chief constable Craig Guildford of his security fears at a round table briefing alongside other force chiefs about new powers to police protests. It took place several days before the final decision was ratified.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood attends a vigil on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, Manchester, after two people died in a terror attack at the Hebrew Congregation synagogue(Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)
At the time the force had yet to conclude its risk assessment but Guildford made clear a ban was one option being considered. The exchange was described by Mahmood aides as ‘brief’ and part of the wider discussion.
In the days that followed we understand she took no action or made any further inquiries with the force, despite the inevitable impact of any decision on her constituents. Visiting fans would have to pass through the Ladywood constituency from the city centre en-route to Aston.
We understand she did not intervene because of strict protocols restricting her from challenging the independence of police operational decisions.
She subsequently said she only found out about the decision to ban away fans ‘when everyone else did’, late on Thursday afternoon, October 16.
A second opportunity for challenge came when three of the four city councillors who sit on the Aston Villa Safety Advisory Group met with city and police officials at short notice on Thursday to discuss the match.
The virtual meeting was presented with the police’s recommendation for a ban on away fans, and heard from the event organisers Aston Villa. Councillors and other partners were invited to share their perspectives.
The game was deemed ‘high risk’ because of the reputation of hooligan and ultra supporters of the Israeli team, and the potential for protests around the stadium and city.
Insiders on the call told BirminghamLive that none of the three councillors raised concerns.
West Midlands force chiefs are now under unprecedented pressure to reverse their recommendation – including from the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister, who insist the visiting fans must be allowed into the city.
The force is currently drawing up alternative recommendations with additional resources pledged if they are needed. A U-turn could be agreed as soon as Tuesday.
The role of the Home Secretary
Mahmood isn’t only the most powerful female politician in the country, with oversight of police forces across the country in her brief. She is also the MP for Birmingham Ladywood, with Villa Park just a mile over the constituency border.
She oversees one of the poorest constituencies in the country, and one of its most ethnically diverse. Around 40 per cent of Ladywood’s population is Asian, 26 per cent are black and around a quarter are white.
She retained her seat narrowly in 2024 after a challenge from a controversial pro-Palestine lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, who garnered massive support for his condemnation of Israeli actions in Gaza. In the neighbouring Perry Barr constituency, where Villa Park sits, another fiercely pro-Palestine lawyer, Ayoub Khan, successfully snatched the seat from Labour.
Nobody knows better than Mahmood the challenges that will face the region’s police force when an estimated 2,000 Israeli fans, including ultras with a reputation for violence and racism, head into the city to watch the game. Equally, she will be aware of the huge concerns of the city’s marginalised Jewish community amid rising antisemitic hate reports.
READ MORE: Full West Midlands Police statement as Maccabi fans banned from Villa Park
She has since said: “Antisemitism is a stain on our society that shames us all. Every football fan, whoever they are, should be able to watch their team in safety.
“This Government is doing everything in our power to ensure all fans can safely attend the game.”
The role of Birmingham City Council
The multi-agency Safety Advisory Group meets regularly to determine any risks or safety considerations around major sporting events in the city.
There are several groups including one each for Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Warwickshire County Cricket Club, the main sporting venues in the city.
Councillors request to, or are assigned to, be part of each decision making body, alongside officials from the council, police, other emergency services, transport, emergency planning and other agencies. A decision is then made over issuing a safety certificate, with conditions if necessary.
The Villa panel is chaired by Birmingham City Council’s head of resilience and operations, Michael Enderby, on whose shoulders the final decision rests. There is no ‘vote’ – instead different perspectives are aired and a final decision confirmed by the chair.
Three Birmingham city councillors – one each from the Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems groups – were assigned to the Aston Villa SAG, joined by the local councillor for the ward where the ground is situated. The four were:
Waseem Zaffar, Labour, who represents Lozells.Alex Yip, Conservative, Sutton Wylde GreenMorriam Jan, Lib Dems, Perry BarrMumtaz Hussain, Lib Dems, representing Aston
We understand three of the four attended the meeting last week to discuss the Maccabi game and decide whether to ban away fans or take some other action.
Yip was absent. Two of them – Zaffar and Hussain – were already predisposed to shutting out supporters of the Israeli club because of the Gaza crisis.
Zaffar had written an opinion piece for BirminghamLive setting out why he was personally boycotting the game; while Hussain had featured in a video alongside MP Ayoub Khan outside the ground calling for a full ban on the Israeli club’s fans.
Neither of them recused themselves from contributing to the discussion.
READ MORE: I am boycotting Aston Villa match – over something bigger than football
We have not been able to establish from Jan if she contributed to the discussion but we understand no representative challenged the police recommendation.
Specifically, we understand none flagged concerns the decision could be deemed ‘antisemitic’ or that it was likely to trigger the backlash that quickly resulted.
Birmingham City Council Labour leader John Cotton has subsequently claimed he made clear to the chief constable a week ago that he would oppose any ban . That view was not expressed by his group’s representative on the decision-making call, Zaffar.
We have asked the council for the chance to speak to SAG chair Mr Enderby and have asked for a copy of the minutes of the meeting, so far without success.