Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has issued a plea to stop 'fanning the flames of division' following a huge public outcry after the Belfast stabbing incident and the death of Henry Nowak in Southampton.
Shabana Mahmood was appointed as the UK's Home Secretary on September 5, 2025, during a cabinet reshuffle. She previously served as the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.
On Tuesday, June 9, Shabana appeared on the Loose Women panel alongside Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter, and Jane Moore. As she prepared to face questions on the ITV daytime show, she issued a plea to stop 'fanning the flames of division' over the stabbing outcry from Henry Nowak's death and the incident in Belfast.
A man, believed to be in his 30s, has been arrested for attempted murder following the incident in north Belfast. The victim, in his 40s, sustained significant injuries to his face, neck, and back, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The PSNI clarified that the suspect arrested is Sudanese, not Somalian as initially indicated. The PSNI has launched a 'critical incident' in response to the attack, and graphic video footage is circulating online showing the violent incident on Kinnaird Avenue.
This follows the release of bodycam footage after Henry Nowak was killed in Southampton in December 2025 by Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years last week. Digwa used a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade, which prosecutors said during the trial was a kirpan he carried as part of his Sikh religion. While he wore a small ceremonial kirpan, his second blade, described by the trial judge as 'a large Sikh dagger', was used as the murder weapon.
After Kemi Badenoch made a statement suggesting that several horrific crimes 'could have been stopped if people had intervened instead of having a fear of being called racist', Shabana responded on Loose Women: 'I would really caution any politician from trying to stoke division in our country,' adding that it is 'morally reprehensible'.
She continued: 'The basic rule of policing is that you police without fear or favour, we are all equal before the law.' Referencing Nowak's death, the Home Secretary promised: 'I will make sure those findings lead to wider lessons for the police.'
With the facts of the Belfast stabbing slowly being drip-fed to the public, Shabana added that it is important to 'wait until more of the facts are established' regarding the suspect's identity. Although there are fears that naming the suspect's race could cause 'community worry', Shabana reassured: 'Transparency is really important to get people to stop fanning the flames of division.' Noting that while we do have a right to protest in this country, people should 'exercise it wisely', as she concluded: 'There is a criminal justice response now that is needed.'
