Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, for urging the public to respond to the murder of Henry Nowak with “pure cold rage”. In a pooled TV interview, Starmer described this as “the wrong reaction”, emphasising that the victim’s family had asked for the case not to be “whipped up”.
Starmer said: “I start my answer to your question through the eyes of the family. They have said they do not want this whipped up. They have been through the most extraordinary, awful experience. They don’t want this whipped up, and Nigel Farage is completely wrong to use this to try and create division.” He added that when the family are pleading for restraint, “as politicians, as human beings, we should start where they start”.
The Prime Minister also revealed that he “felt sick” watching bodycam footage of Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying. “I have seen the body cam footage, it’s harrowing, and I have to say, as a father of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick watching it,” he said. Starmer stressed that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) must be allowed to complete its inquiry into how officers handled the case before any further action is taken.
When asked whether he agreed with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s call for a Macpherson-style inquiry into anti-racist culture in the police, Starmer did not rule it out but insisted the IOPC investigation should take precedence. He noted that “serious questions” remain about how accusations of racism influenced decision-making in the case.
Separately, Downing Street confirmed that Starmer’s WhatsApp messages are set to automatically delete from his smartphone, raising questions about the completeness of documents released regarding his role in Peter Mandelson’s appointment. Starmer insisted he had complied with a humble address, stating: “All the messages I hold have been passed over. I went through the same process as everybody else.”
