New polling from More in Common shows Green voters are far more likely to back Iran over Israel and the US, with 38% taking the Iranian side compared to just 4% backing the Americans and the Israelis. 40% back neither side and 6% judge both equally. The Green support for the Iranian side is more than twice as high as any other voting group…
As the chart above shows, Reform voters are far more likely to back the American position. Overall, however, most Brits sympathise with neither side at all…
Announced by the US embassy:
“On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks.
In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the West Bank. Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available.“
This comes days after staff were evacuated from the US embassy in Beirut. Military asset buildup continues outside Iran…
West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford has written to the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee to apologise for using AI to ban Jewish fans from attending a football game. The thin blue line in action…
Guildford says after denying it was the case he “became aware that the erroneous result concerning the West Ham v Maccabi Tel Aviv match arose as result of a use of Microsoft Co Pilot. Both ACC O’Hara and I had, up until Friday afternoon, understood that the West Ham match had only been identified through the use of Google.” Blimey…
It remains to be seen whether Shabana Mahmood will allow him to keep his job. He is fighting for it…
UPDATE: The Times reports that Guildford is “digging in” and “lawyering up”, and will refuse to quit even if Shabana Mahmood declares she has no confidence in him later today. Not going down without a battle…
Read his full letter to Karen Bradley below:
A Birmingham City councillor who claims to be “appointed on to the Safety Advisory Board at Aston Villa FC” – the club at which Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are banned next month – said that he would be boycotting the match in opposition to the Israeli government.
There is no central register of members of Safety Advisory Groups in Birmingham. Aston Villa FC published a statement last night:
“Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture.”
Labour Councillor Waseem Zaffar MBE’s register of interests, dated 10 February 2025, states his membership of the Aston Villa board. He wrote in Birmingham Live last month:
“We have made a difficult and deeply personal decision: we will not be at Villa Park for the visit of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Our choice stems from a place of conscience. We simply cannot sit and watch a football team from a state whose government is perpetrating what we and many others view as a humanitarian crisis, with the killing of thousands of innocent children and civilians in Palestine.
The starvation, torture and killing of the people of Palestine carried out by the Israeli government and military have crossed many red lines for a very long time.”
Zaffar, a former chairman of Birmingham City Council’s social cohesion group, was reprimanded by the Labour Party in 2016 for comments on Israel. Speaking at a “Free Gaza” protest in 2014, he backed a boycott of Israel: “We need to ensure that there is a clear list of companies that are supporting the Zionists out there in Israel. We need to continue to boycott them.” In a 2016 open letter to Ruth Jacobs, of the Birmingham and West Midlands Jewry Representative Council, Zaffar said: “Palestinian violence has been a reaction to Israeli oppression and violence. Even when Palestinians protest peacefully, they are shot and often killed or maimed by the Israeli armed forces.” Labour said: “These views are not shared by the Labour party and Councillor Zaffar has been reminded of his responsibilities as a Labour councillor”…
Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton publicly opposes the Safety Advisory Group’s decision and said he is “asking that they urgently review their decision.” The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has requested an “immediate review” of the ban decision…
Trump was heaping praise on Steve Witkoff when a Knesset member heckled the US President before being hauled out by security. The speaker said “Sorry about that, Mr President”…
Trump restarted: “That was very efficient.” “So back to Steve…”
President Trump is addressing the Israeli Parliament. All 20 living hostages have been freed after more than two years in captivity. The Peace President…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”
