£185m West Midlands rail project will see re-opening of five stations Five new railway stations are set to open in the West Midlands as part of a £185m project aimed at reconnecting communities. The Independent UK · Mar 17
Full list of confirmed top-tier council tax rises in England Nearly one in five local authorities have decided not to raise tax by the maximum permitted amount of 4.99%. Evening Standard · Mar 11
Mapped: All confirmed top-tier council tax rises in England for the 2026/27 financial year List of confirmed council tax rises for 2026/27 by top-tier local authorities in England The Independent UK · Mar 11
The full list of proposed and confirmed top-tier council tax rises in England 125 authorities – 82% of the total – are planning a rise of at least 4.99% The Independent UK · Feb 25
Full list of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches set to close The exact number of job losses is not known at this time The Independent UK · Feb 12
Lloyds Banking Group: Which branches are closing and when? The banking group will shut 53 Lloyds branches, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland sites as part of the latest announcement. Evening Standard · Feb 11
Teen pleads guilty to murdering schoolboy on walk home At just 12 years old, Leo Ross is believed to be the youngest victim of knife crime in the West Midlands The Independent UK · Jan 29
Woman denies interfering with provision of abortion services Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was charged by West Midlands Police in December for ‘silently praying in a buffer zone’, it is claimed. Evening Standard · Jan 29
Commissioner says he couldn’t sack police chief ‘on the spot’ over Maccabi Tel Aviv ban ‘It’s not an episode of The Apprentice, there has to be a lawful process’, says West Midlands police commissioner Simon Foster The Guardian - UK · Jan 27
Mahmood to get power to sack chief constables after West Midlands Police Israeli fans ban row The home secretary has moved swiftly after she was unable to sack former West Midlands chief constable Craig Guildford over his force's handling of the Aston Villa match against Maccabi Tel Aviv The Independent UK · Jan 23
Is AI hurting your ability to think? How to reclaim your brain The retirement of West Midlands police chief Craig Guildford is a wake-up call for those of us using artificial intelligence (AI) tools at work and in our personal lives. Guildford lost the confidence of the home secretary after it was revealed that the force used incorrect AI-generated evidence in their… The Conversation · Jan 22
When policing, football and politics collide Letters: Readers reflect on the West Midlands police chief stepping down after the row over banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans The Guardian - UK · Jan 19
Retired chief constable referred to watchdog over Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban Craig Guildford, 52, announced his retirement from West Midlands Police on Friday. Evening Standard · Jan 19
Retired West Midlands police chief Craig Guildford referred to watchdog IOPC asked to investigate former chief constable after Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from Aston Villa match The Guardian - UK · Jan 19
Evening Standard · Jan 16 Ex-West Midlands Police chief could still face conduct probe despite retirement The Independent Office for Police Conduct signalled it would continue investigating the actions of Craig Guildford and WMP.
The Guardian - UK · Jan 16 The Guardian view on Craig Guildford’s departure: right decision, dangerous implications Editorial: The West Midlands police chief finally bowed to government pressure and quit. But we should not sleepwalk into a centralised system
The Conversation · Jan 16 Why the home secretary can’t fire a police chief who has done wrong – it’s key to the integrity of British policing Craig Guildford, the chief constable of one of Britain’s largest police forces, West Midlands Police, will retire, after coming under pressure over a controversial decision by the police to ban visiting supporters of the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a match against Aston Villa.
Evening Standard · Jan 16 West Midlands Police chief to retire after Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban criticism Chief Constable Craig Guildford will step down as the head of the force following mounting pressure for him to quit.
The Independent UK · Jan 16 West Midlands police boss ‘due to retire’ amid Maccabi fan ban fallout Police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands Simon Foster is expected to speak to the media later and announce the exit of Craig Guildford.
The Guardian - UK · Jan 16 West Midlands police chief steps down after row over Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ban Craig Guildford retires after inquiry found ‘greatly exaggerated’ intelligence was used to justify ban
The Guardian - UK · Jan 16 By seeking to defuse domestic tensions over Gaza, West Midlands police ended up making matters worse For the sake of British Jews and British Muslims – and those of us who believe in multiculturalism – lessons must be learned from the Villa Park row, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
The Guardian - UK · Jan 15 West Midlands chief constable may face investigation by police watchdog Craig Guildford remains in post after damning report into decision to ban Israeli fans from football match, despite calls for his resignation
The Guardian - UK · Jan 15 Streeting ‘horrified’ if police chief behind Maccabi Tel Aviv ban not gone by end of day Minister says he is shocked West Midlands chief who misled MPs and public is still in post
The Independent UK · Jan 15 Wes Streeting tells West Midlands police chief to quit today Health secretary said he was ‘absolutely shocked’ that Craig Guildford remained in his post after the Maccabi Tel Aviv ban controversy
Evening Standard · Jan 15 Streeting piles pressure on West Midlands Police chief to stand down Wes Streeting said he was ‘absolutely shocked’ that Craig Guildford remained in his post after the Maccabi Tel Aviv ban controversy.