Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the riots in Southampton on Tuesday night, calling for 'serious work, not rage' and directly criticising Nigel Farage's response to the murder of Henry Nowak. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer described Farage's call for 'pure, cold rage' as 'unforgivable', noting that Nowak's family had urged against exploiting the tragedy.
The violence erupted after the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, 23, who fatally stabbed 18-year-old Henry Nowak. Digwa had falsely claimed he was racially abused and attacked by Nowak. Eleven police officers and one police dog were injured as far-right agitators attacked officers during a protest over Nowak's death and his treatment by police.
Starmer highlighted the dignity of Nowak's family and stressed that there are serious questions to answer, including how accusations of racism influenced police thinking. He confirmed government support for the Independent Office for Police Conduct's investigation into the officers who handcuffed Nowak after he was stabbed.
In response to Farage's claims of 'two-tier policing', Starmer said: '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.' The policing minister, Sarah Jones, also condemned the violence and acknowledged that anti-discrimination guidance giving the impression that black and white suspects should be treated differently 'gives the wrong impression'.
The National Police Chiefs' Council has announced a review of its anti-racism guidance, which advises treating ethnic minorities differently to achieve better outcomes. Critics, including shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy, argue that such guidance corrupts law enforcement with political correctness.
