PM Rebukes Vance
British Prime Minister Criticizes US Vice President's Immigration Comments on UK Teen's Murder
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office has condemned U.S. Vice President JD Vance after he blamed immigration for the death of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student stabbed to death in Southampton in December 2025. The problem: both Nowak and his convicted killer, Vickrum Digwa, were British citizens, according to Local 10.
Digwa, 23, was sentenced on June 1 to life in prison with a minimum 21-year term after a jury found him guilty of murder. Nowak's family has asked that his death not be used to create "further division, hatred or tension," ABC 10 reported.
Vance Blames 'Mass Invasion' Despite British Roots of Both Men
On June 5, Vance posted a series of messages on X blaming the killing on "mass invasion of migrants" and "European elites." He wrote that Nowak "died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him," according to KENS 5. Starmer's office fired back, saying outsiders were trying to "stir up division on our streets."
The U.S. State Department had already weighed in on June 4, calling UK policing a sign of "civilisational decline." The Liberal Democrats called for the U.S. Ambassador to be summoned, describing the comments as "flagrant foreign interference." Justice Secretary David Lammy said the U.S. assessment did not "chime with his experience" of British law enforcement, WUSA 9 reported.
Bodycam Footage Shows Officers Handcuffed Dying Teen
The case drew public fury after bodycam footage was released following Digwa's conviction. It showed officers handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying, while he said "I can't breathe" and "I've been stabbed" nine times. Police had believed Digwa's false claim that Nowak had racially assaulted him and knocked off his turban. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now investigating the officers involved.
Three minutes passed between police arrival and the moment they realized Nowak was mortally wounded. Digwa used a 21-centimeter dagger. His mother, Kiran Kaur, was also convicted for hiding the murder weapon. Violent protests erupted in Southampton on June 2, injuring 11 officers, according to News4Jax.
'Two-Tier Policing' Claim Fuels Far-Right Mobilization
The case has been seized on by far-right figures to push a "two-tier policing" theory. This is the claim that UK police go easier on ethnic minorities to avoid racism accusations. Nigel Farage called for "pure, cold rage." Elon Musk amplified the narrative online. Tommy Robinson has used the case to organize street demonstrations, Local Memphis reported.
Sikh community leaders moved to distance themselves from Digwa, calling the murder a "moment of madness" that violates Sikh teachings. But they reported a rise in anti-Sikh hostility, with community members being stopped on the street and asked if they were carrying knives. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ordered an urgent inspection into police training on handling "competing accounts" at crime scenes.
Diplomatic Spat Threatens US-UK Trade Deal Negotiations
The row lands at a delicate moment. The UK and US were in active talks on a trade deal to exempt British goods from President Trump's 10% baseline tariff on UK imports. Analysts warn the public diplomatic friction over the Nowak case could stall those negotiations, according to KENS 5.
Starmer's government has walked a careful line with Washington since Trump returned to office. This week's exchange marks one of the sharpest public clashes between the two sides. Downing Street accused foreign actors of trying to "interfere in our democracy" — a phrase that signals how seriously the government views the intervention, ABC 10 reported.
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