UK Deputy PM Lammy Rejects US Criticism Over Henry Nowak Murder

Eighteen‑year‑old Southampton student Henry Nowak was stabbed to death in December 2023. His killer, Vickrum Digwa, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. Police handcuffed Nowak while he lay dying and accepted his false claim that he had been the victim of a racist attack, prompting accusations of "two‑tier policing" in the United Kingdom.

The US State Department posted on X: "Ideological conditioning and two‑tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilisational decline. They must be rejected across the West," and sent condolences to Nowak’s family. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy responded on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, saying he "does not recognise this caricature of a two‑tier policing system in our country." Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller called for the US ambassador to be summoned, describing the US comment as "flagrant foreign interference."

Billionaire Elon Musk used his platform X to comment on the case more than a hundred times, prompting Lammy to urge him to "step back" and focus on his business. The controversy sparked protests in Southampton, with clashes that left eleven police officers and a police dog injured. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, opposition leaders and other parties called for calm and urged a review of policing practices.

The dispute illustrates a rare diplomatic tension over a domestic criminal case, linking UK policing policy, US diplomatic messaging, and social‑media influence.