Keir Starmer Accuses Nigel Farage Of 'Whipping Up' Division Over Henry Nowak Murder

Keir Starmer has accused Nigel Farage of “whipping up” division over his reaction to the murder of Henry Nowak.

The prime minister said the Reform UK leader had gone against the wishes of Henry’s family, who said they did not want his brutal death to “be used to create further hatred, division or tension”.

Farage broadcast an “emergency” address on Tuesday morning, a day after the 18-year-old’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years.

Henry was arrested by police officers after being stabbed four times by Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused.

Harrowing bodycam footage shows Henry repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” as he is handcuffed at the scene.

After telling the officers he had been stabbed, one of them replies: “I don’t think you have, mate.”

Outside Southampton Crown Court on Monday, Henry’s father, Mark, said: “We do not want Henry’s murder to be used to create further hatred, division or tension.”

But in his address, which was broadcast online, Farage said the case is evidence of “two-tier Britain” and proved that “an accusation of racial slur [is taken] more seriously than an act of murder”.

“The rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities,” the Clacton MP said.

“We should respond to this with pure cold rage,” Farage said. “Britain’s historic way of life is being thrown away.”

“I start my answer to your question through the eyes of the family. They have said they do not want this whipped up. They have been through the most extraordinary, awful experience.

“They don’t want this whipped up, and Nigel Farage is completely wrong to use this to try and create division.

“It would be wrong in any circumstances, but when Henry’s family are saying ‘please don’t do that, it’s our son’, then really, as politicians – as human beings – we should start where they start, and that’s where I start.”

The Tories and Lib Dems have also slammed Farage over his response to Henry’s killing.

Kemi Badenoch told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Nigel Farage is taking sides. I’m not taking sides. I’m saying enough of this. We need to stop this racialising of our society.”

In a Commons debate on Tuesday, Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson accused Farage of “using this tragedy to divide British communities”.

“We all know why he does this: he’s made a career out of this and has become rich as a result,” he said.

“We are also well aware, as he is, that his actions are divisive, dangerous and fundamentally un-British.”

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