British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy said he directly challenged U.S. Vice President JD Vance over comments linking the killing of university student Henry Nowak to immigration, as a growing political row between Britain and the United States intensified.
The stabbing has evolved into a broader political flashpoint, fueling claims of “two-tier policing” in Britain and prompting comparisons by some protesters to George Floyd’s death in the United States.
Lammy told Sky News he spoke with Vance on Saturday and rejected suggestions that the case was connected to mass migration.
Newsweek contacted Vance via online form and Lammy via email Sunday for comment.
The Case at the Center of the Row
Henry Nowak, 18, died after being stabbed in December in Southampton by Vickrum Digwa. Prosecutors said Digwa, 23, used an 8-inch Sikh dagger during the attack.
Digwa falsely told police he was the victim of a racist assault by Nowak, who is white. When officers arrived, they initially treated the wounded Nowak as a suspect before realizing he had been stabbed and attempting to resuscitate him.
Digwa was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.
Lammy Makes Direct Call
Lammy said he emphasized that multiple investigations were already underway into both the killing and the police response before telling the vice president he disagreed with his assessment.
“I disagree with him. This has got nothing to do with mass migration. This young man was a Brit. Let’s be clear about that,” Lammy said.
“And I said, ‘Look, Mr. vice president, you’re wrong about this.'”
Lammy added that murder rates in Britain were falling and said the conversation remained cordial despite their disagreement.
He said the conversation was amicable, noting the vice president’s “long-standing concern about what he calls Western values,” and added that he urged him not to post in ways that could inflame tensions, citing the wishes of the victim’s family.
Newsweek contacted Vance via online form and Lammy via email Sunday for comment.
Vance’s Intervention Sparks UK Backlash
The row was triggered after Vance posted on X linking the killing to what he described as “the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it,” and calling for “righteous anger” in response.
His remarks prompted swift criticism from U.K. officials and opposition figures, and intensified scrutiny of how the case is being discussed politically, as reported by The Associated Press.
Downing Street said it opposed attempts “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.”
“The Nowak family are grieving after Henry’s horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes,” the statement said.
“Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country.”
Protest Comparisons to George Floyd
The case has also become a focus for protest and online debate, with some demonstrators and commentators drawing comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in the United States, as reported by Newsweek.
However, the circumstances of the two deaths are sharply different: While Floyd was killed by a police officer, Nowak had already been stabbed before officers arrived at the scene.
The comparison has nevertheless been cited by protesters as part of wider criticism of policing and institutional bias.
‘Two-Tier Policing’ Claims Enter Debate
Politicians including Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, have claimed the police response reflects “two-tier” policing and bias within the justice system.
The U.S. State Department echoed the allegation in a post on X, expressing condolences to the family and saying that “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline.”
The British government rejected the claim, saying it is not supported by statistical evidence.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the actions of officers who responded to the stabbing.
The victim’s father, Mark Nowak, said the case was not about racism or religion and urged that it not be used to fuel division. He said he wanted his son’s death to lead to safer streets and not to create “further division, hatred or tension.”
The case has now become part of further political dispute between U.K. and U.S. figures, with disagreement over migration rhetoric, policing narratives and how the killing is being used in political messaging on both sides of the Atlantic.