Starmer accuses the far-right Farage of politicizing the murder of young Henry Nowak

LondonAmidst widespread shock in the United Kingdom over the death of young Henry Nowak, the House of Commons on Wednesday witnessed an unusual episode of unity against the far-right and against the politicization that Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has sought to make of the murder. Indeed, after a night of riots in Southampton, he went as far as to predict more violence if "a large number of white youngsters think the police are prejudiced against them." At the same time, both the government and police organizations and forces are questioning whether a review of law enforcement protocols is necessary.

The events date back to December of last year, when Nowak was stabbed five times by Vickrum Digwa, twenty-three years old and of Sikh religion. The police handcuffed the victim as he was dying, without attending to his wounds or his repeated warnings: "I can't breathe" and "he stabbed me." Emergency services were not alerted until it was too late.

Public indignation soared after images from the body cameras of the officers present at the scene were released on Monday night to Tuesday. The videos also show Digwa—sentenced this Monday to a minimum of twenty-one years in prison—telling the police that he had been the victim of a racist attack.

Farage took advantage of this element to insist that the British police discriminate against white people. "A growing number of millions of people in this country believe we live under a two-tier police force," he stated in Parliament, suggesting that officers treat victims and suspects differently based on their race.

The far-right leader also lashed out against "the dangerous ideology of so-called anti-racism." On Tuesday, he called the crime a "turning point" for the country, and demanded a response of "pure cold rage" to what he considers a police action with a "double standard": discriminatory against white people and favorable to members of ethnic minorities.

Division against the family's wishes

These statements have been interpreted by the rest of the parties in the Chamber as one of the factors that contributed to igniting the riots recorded on Tuesday night in Southampton, which resulted in two arrests and eleven police officers injured.

In this context of tension, at the start of the Prime Minister's question time, the main political leaders have tried to de-escalate the tension. Both the premier, Keir Starmer, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, have also agreed that there are important questions about the police's actions that deserve an answer — in fact, an investigation is already underway —. At the same time, however, they have unequivocally condemned the violence and warned that there is no justification for fueling new social or political divisions.

Farage, however, has maintained his narrative. According to him, the police would have given more credibility to the aggressor's accusation than to the fact that Nowak had been stabbed. "Apart from the shock and indignation at the circumstances of Henry Nowak's death, the rage that overflowed last night in Southampton is worrying. I condemn the violence, which risks worsening considerably," he stated in the Commons, without renouncing his denunciation of an alleged "police with a double standard".

Starmer responded to him with unusual harshness. "The family's wishes have been that there be no more division. But your response has been to call for rage," he retorted, pointing at Farage. The Prime Minister went even further: "Exploiting this tragedy to generate grievances and division is wrong in any circumstance, but to do so when the family expressly says 'please, don't do it' is unforgivable. That shows exactly who you are," he concluded.

Farage, who practices a certain ambiguity and tries to exploit racial tensions – already since the time of the Brexit referendum, warning of invasions of foreigners–, has insisted on it, in statements to Times Radio, while trying to shake off any responsibility for the violence experienced in the streets of Southampton: "I called for a cold rage. I used that term very deliberately. I suggested that this rage be channeled in a cold way, not a hot one." And when asked if this comment could fuel social and racial divisions, Farage reiterated: "The division will get much worse. What was seen last night in Southampton is just the beginning. If we have a large number of young white people who think the police are prejudiced against them, who knows where we will end up. This must end."