The elected police chief at the centre of the Israeli football ban row has been accused of offering to give a controversial mosque the equivalent of a “blank cheque” to apply for public funding.
Simon Foster, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, wrote that he would be “very happy” to provide Green Lane mosque with a generic letter of support that would allow it to apply for future, unspecified public grants.
Internal documents reveal that in January 2023 Foster also praised the “impressive range of work” at Green Lane, which has a history of antisemitic and misogynistic speakers. Last night he said he supported the charity for a specific grant but ultimately did not issue the wider letter.
