Culture secretary to speak to Home Office as minister says barring Israeli supporters is ‘utterly unacceptable’
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Senior government officials will meet on Friday as they look to reverse a decision by West Midlands police to ban fans of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv from a European match at Aston Villa next month.
Ian Murray, a minister in the culture department, said on Friday the decision to ban travelling supporters was “completely and utterly unacceptable” and that the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, would meet officials from the Home Office and elsewhere to discuss it.
There is a growing political row over the decision, with the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, both having condemned it.
