Lammy tells Vance he is wrong about intervening in Nowak case

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister has rebuked JD Vance for tying Henry Nowak’s murder to immigration, telling the US Vice President he was wrong on the facts and warning that his social media intervention was “not helpful”.

David Lammy said he confronted Mr Vance in a “robust” phone call yesterday after the American politician suggested the killing was the product of a “mass invasion” of migrants into Europe.

Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was handcuffed by police as he lay dying, despite pleading that he had been stabbed. Officers acted after his killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed he had been targeted in a racist attack.

Mr Lammy, who has forged an unlikely friendship with Mr Vance despite stark political differences, said they had clashed over the circumstances of the murder.

“The first is that our democratic process is working well. This young man has been convicted. There is an investigation into the police by the independent police complaints authority.

“There is an investigation into Hampshire Police by the inspectorate. The AG (Attorney General) is looking at the sentencing in relation to this. The national police chiefs are looking at the guidance in relation to this.”

He added: “The second thing was I disagree with him – this has got nothing to do with mass migration.

“This young man (Digwa) was a Brit. Let’s be… clear about that, and I said, ‘Look, Mr Vice President, you’re wrong about this’, and it’s also the case that actually murder is coming down in the United Kingdom.

“So, we had an agreeable conversation, but we disagree.”

Henry Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds

The comments marked the latest intervention from the Trump administration over the case. On Friday, Mr Vance wrote: “Henry Nowak died the same way a civilisation dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit.

“His murder is as tragic as it is enraging.

“He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.”

In the post on X, published after violent unrest in Southampton on Tuesday near the scene of the killing, the Vice President said the proper response to Mr Nowak’s death should be “righteous anger”.

Asked whether he had effectively ticked Mr Vance off, Mr Lammy said: “We had an agreeable conversation because we have got a relationship, but I wanted to make him clear that I disagree with some of the facts that he was asserting and to present the facts to him.”

He added: “I also urged him that it’s not helpful to tweet in this way, partly because of what the Nowak family have asked for, and reminded him about their desire not to make this an issue of division and hatred, but to make this an issue of common sense.”

Asked whether he believed the Vice President had been racist, the Deputy Prime Minister told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I reminded him that the family have called for calm, they don’t want division… and, two, I reminded him also of the online space and how toxic that can become. So, we had a robust conversation, a respectful conversation.

“We remain colleagues and friends, we’re able to do that, and he has strongly-held views.”

Mr Vance’s remarks followed a separate intervention from the US State Department, which linked “two-tier policing” to Mr Nowak’s death — a claim Downing Street has firmly rejected.

Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years for killing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade, which he carried as part of his Sikh religion.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is examining Hampshire Police’s handling of the case.

Mr Lammy also confirmed that the Attorney General is considering whether to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient scheme.