PM Rejects Farage’s ‘Two-Tier Policing’ Allegations, Accusing Him of Exploiting Tragedy

Sir Keir Starmer has strongly criticized Nigel Farage for leveraging the death of Henry Nowak to foster "grievance and division," marking a heated confrontation in the House of Commons following the teenager’s murder. The clash intensified after the Reform UK leader asserted that the British public is justified in feeling "pure, cold rage" toward the police, who detained the 18-year-old victim while he was bleeding to death. This occurred after the actual killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely alleged he was the target of a racist attack.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Farage reiterated his assertion that the incident stemmed from "two-tier policing," pointing to anti-racism protocols issued by law enforcement leadership. The Prime Minister dismissed this characterization, urging politicians to approach the tragedy with substantive action rather than inflammatory rhetoric.

The controversy follows the sentencing of 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years on Monday for the murder of Nowak in Southampton last December. Digwa stabbed the teenager with a large knife, which he stated was carried in accordance with his Sikh faith. He subsequently lied to officers, claiming he had been assaulted on racial grounds, which led to the initial arrest of the white victim rather than his murderer.

Body-camera video released this week captured Nowak informing officers of the stabbing as he lay dying in handcuffs. The case is currently under review by the policing watchdog.

The incident triggered a significant political response, including a video posted by Farage in which he described the police handling of the situation as proof of a "two-tier Britain." He called for an end to what he termed "anti-white prejudice," stating, "Henry's family have responded to this in just the most extraordinarily dignified way. But I suggest the rest of us respond to this with pure, cold rage."

Back in the Commons, Farage maintained that the case exemplified "two-tier policing," arguing that anti-racism directives caused forces to treat ethnic groups differently. He cautioned that public trust could erode further, potentially worsening violent protests, if citizens felt they were not being treated equitably by officers. Throughout his speech, he faced repeated heckling from other MPs who demanded he condemn the clashes with police that occurred on Monday evening.

Starmer responded by expressing shock at Farage’s reaction, accusing the Reform leader of ignoring explicit requests from Nowak’s family that their loss not be politicized to deepen societal rifts.

"A grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded," Starmer told the House. "My response – and the response of others, to be fair – has focused on the lessons to be learned, so we can deliver justice. His response has been to appeal for rage. Rage – that's his response to a father who's lost his son and asked for that not to happen."

The Prime Minister added, "Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances. But to do it when the family are expressly saying 'please don't' is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is."

The political fallout has also drawn attention to the language used in official police documents. The organization representing police chiefs in England and Wales announced it would reassess the wording of the Police Anti-Racism Commitment, a document published last year following a 2022 policing action plan. The text, which states that police should not necessarily aim to treat everyone "the same" but rather strive for "equality of policing outcomes" across different ethnic groups, has faced scrutiny since the Nowak murder.

Earlier, Policing Minister Sarah Jones described the document’s language as "wrong" and misleading. However, she clarified that it serves as a "values document" and does not constitute the foundation for police training or operational procedures.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-03 13:39:00 UTC