Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has accused tech billionaire Elon Musk of “trying to whip up division” over the murder of Henry Nowak.
There were violent protests in Southampton following the release of bodycam footage showing police handcuffing 18-year-old Nowak as he lay dying. His killer Vickrum Digwa had claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack.
The footage of Nowak’s final moments has prompted a wave of political reaction, with X-owner Musk criticising the police treatment of the teenager last December on the platform.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also called for calm, having met Nowak’s family on Thursday morning, and Sir Keir will meet them in Downing Street this afternoon.
In a visit to York on Thursday, Sir Keir accused Musk of interfering in British politics and stressed the grieving family had appealed for calm.
He said: “We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division – that is not who we are in Britain.
“In Britain, we are reasonable, tolerant people.
“When we have a terrible case like Henry’s case, Henry Nowak, we react calmly, as his family have done.”
On Thursday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted on X that she had met Nowak’s mother, father and stepmother, and praised their courage.
She wrote: “They have asked that we work across political parties and religions to rebuild trust in the police. That trust has been broken because of what happened, and I agree with them on that.
“We must also be prepared to examine, carefully and seriously, religious practices or exemptions that permit the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, and other activities that are not conducive to the public good. We also need to examine where the law needs to change.”
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years for murder on Monday, after which Henry Nowak’s father, Mark, appealed for calm outside the court.
He said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone.”
Sir Keir said the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), was investigating the officers’ behaviour and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) guidance around race was being looked at as a result of the case.
Asked whether he supported calls from the Conservatives for a full misconduct investigation to be launched against the police officers involved, Sir Keir said: “I think it’s right that there may need to be changes and we shouldn’t shy away from that, not for one moment.
“But how we conduct ourselves now as politicians is really important.
“And I call on all politicians, all politicians, to just listen again to what the family are asking of us, which is to remain calm, to show the leadership that’s needed here and not allow this case to be used to whip up division.”
There were angry exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, where Sir Keir accused Nigel Farage of exploiting Nowak’s death.
The Reform UK leader had said in a video clip released on Tuesday: “Henry’s family have responded to this in just the most extraordinarily dignified way. But I suggest the rest of us respond to this with pure, cold rage.”
Speaking in the Commons the next day, Farage was heckled by opposition MPs calling on him to condemn the protests in Southampton, as he repeated his claim that anti-racism guidelines for police had led to different ethnic groups being treated in different ways.
Responding, Sir Keir accused Farage of disregarding pleas from Nowak’s family that his death should not be used to stoke division in society.
“A grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded,” he told MPs. “My response – and the response of others, to be fair – has focused on the lessons to be learned, so we can deliver justice.
“His response has been to appeal for rage. Rage – that’s his response to a father who’s lost his son and asked for that not to happen.
“Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances. But to do it when the family are expressly saying ‘please don’t’ is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.”
By BBC News
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