Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for calm after the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton was seized upon by far-right figures to stoke racial tensions. Nowak was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who used a Sikh dagger in December 2025. Digwa falsely claimed he had been racially abused by Nowak, but body-camera footage showed Nowak handcuffed despite telling police he had been stabbed.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, urged the public to respond with “pure, cold rage”, prompting Starmer to condemn his remarks. Starmer said: “Nigel Farage is completely wrong to use this to try and create division. He would be wrong in any circumstances, but when Henry’s family are saying, ‘Please don’t do that, it’s our son’, then really, as politicians, as human beings, we should start where they start.”
Farage had described the incident as evidence of “two-tier” policing, warning that an excessive focus on racial equality could lead to “the destruction of society”. He repeated the phrase “white lives matter”, which originated among US white nationalists. Meanwhile, far-right activist Tommy Robinson called for a protest outside Southampton police station, where a crowd of hundreds gathered, chanting “Racist police, off our streets” and holding signs such as “Henry’s blood is on your hands”.
Sikh groups condemned the attack as “a moment of madness” by one individual, but reported that the wider Sikh community had faced considerable abuse. Amandeep Singh from the Sikh charity Basics of Sikhi said at least 15 people had been accosted on the streets by groups asking, “Have you got a kirpan?”, trying to stir up racial tensions.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the case, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood telling the Commons she expected its report within three months. Starmer said the IOPC must examine whether racial sensitivities played a part, adding: “It is impossible to watch that footage and not appreciate that those questions absolutely have to be answered.”
