Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has revealed he called US Vice-President JD Vance to directly tell him his remarks about the murder of British teenager Henry Nowak were "wrong."
Vance had blamed the 18-year-old's death on a "mass invasion of migrants" and called for "righteous anger" in response. Lammy told the BBC he spoke to Vance on Saturday, insisting the killing "has got nothing to do with mass migration."
Nowak was fatally stabbed in Southampton last December by Vickrum Digwa—a British-born UK citizen who falsely claimed he acted in self-defence after being racially abused. Digwa, who carried the blade for what he said were religious reasons linked to his Sikh faith, was jailed for life.
Bodycam footage showed police handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying, after Digwa misled officers into believing he was the victim of a racist attack. The case sparked fierce debate over policing and knife laws, with violent protests erupting in Southampton.
In a social media post, Vance said Nowak died "the same way a civilisation dies: abandoned and handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him." He argued the teenager would be alive today "if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants."
Lammy described his conversation with Vance as "robust" but "agreeable," noting he rejected the vice-president's "caricature" of Western civilisation in decline. He added that he reminded Vance that Nowak's family had "called for calm."
Henry Nowak's father, Mark, appealed for calm after sentencing, saying: "We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension."
The Lammy-Vance friendship dates back to when Lammy was an opposition MP and Vance a US senator. Last summer, Vance and his family stayed at Lammy's official residence, Chevening, in Kent. However, US-UK relations have recently soured, particularly over disagreements on military action in the Gulf.
Police Review Anti-Racism Guidance
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating Hampshire Police's handling of the Nowak case. The force's chief has apologised "for handcuffing and arresting Henry."
A document outlining anti-racism commitments by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has come under scrutiny. It states racial equality "does not mean treating everyone 'the same' or being 'colour blind.'" The NPCC said Tuesday it would review the language used.
Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, argued there is a direct link between such police "guidance" and Nowak's death. He rejected claims that his party is exploiting the case, saying: "The only way we can ensure we do not have another such tragedy is through political means." Yusuf also said he believes the police are institutionally racist, citing the NPCC document.
Lammy, however, said "we are all equal before the law," while acknowledging that ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. He added that policing has "moved on from that period of institutional racism" that was "very real" in the past.