The murder of Henry Nowak has prompted Nigel Farage to claim that Britons are 'living in a two-tier culture', as the death sparked violence between protesters and police. The Reform UK leader drew parallels between the 18-year-old student's final moments in Southampton and those of George Floyd, who similarly cried 'I can't breathe' before his death in the US in 2020, igniting global Black Lives Matter protests.
Farage's Comparison to George Floyd
Mr Farage said: 'Remember the reaction to [Floyd] and the way the police behaved? Within a few days Keir Starmer was taking the knee, Black Lives Matter, it exploded all over the country, Churchill's statue was defaced, the Cenotaph was vandalised. And yet what has the public reaction been from our leaders and politicians and indeed to be frank much of the media to this? Silence, absolute silence. Proof, if ever there was any, that we're living in a two-tier culture in this country where the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities.'
Badenoch's Response
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch described the murder as a 'seminal moment' in the fight against racism, comparing it to the killing of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. There has been widespread anger over footage showing Henry being handcuffed by officers as he lay dying, telling them he had been stabbed and uttering his last words: 'I can't breathe.'
Details of the Incident
The finance student was arrested in Southampton last December after being attacked by knife-obsessed Sikh Vickrum Digwa, 23, who then pretended he was the victim. The case has sparked a national debate about policing and racial inequality.
Daily Mail Poll
In a Daily Mail poll, readers are asked: 'Do you agree with Mr Farage's view on 'two-tier' Britain?' In a previous poll on whether Reform's backers are driven by ideology rather than protest, 61 per cent of over 2,000 votes said 'yes', and 39 per cent said 'no'.
