David Lammy has dismissed a formal intervention from the Trump administration over Henry Nowak’s murder as a “caricature” of British policing — as the Liberal Democrats called on Sir Keir Starmer to summon the US ambassador over what they described as “flagrant foreign interference.”
The US State Department posted on X late on Thursday: “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline. They must be rejected across the West. The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time.” The post marked a significant escalation in the internationalisation of a case that has already convulsed British politics for days.
Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, thanked the US for its message of condolence but flatly rejected the characterisation of the British policing system. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “I don’t recognise this caricature of a two-tier policing system in our country. I just don’t see it in the interactions I have with policing, and so I do reject that.”
He also turned his fire on Elon Musk, who has posted over 100 times about the case on his own platform X — including an offer to fund a private prosecution of Hampshire Constabulary. Lammy pointedly noted that Musk’s company Starlink is preparing for a high-profile stock market debut in the United States this month. “Elon Musk should get on with that,” he told Sky News. “Tweeting over 100 times about this tragic, horrific case — my heart goes out to the Nowak family. Let us not exploit their situation. They have asked for calm. Elon Musk really should stay out of this complex but painful situation for that family.” Lammy said he was not minded to stop using X as a platform himself, but added that it was “appropriate for politicians to urge Elon Musk to step back.”
The Liberal Democrats went further, calling directly on the Prime Minister to summon the US ambassador to account for the State Department’s remarks. Foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said: “The Trump administration should not be using the tragic murder of Henry Nowak as a political football. This is flagrant foreign interference that seeks to fan the flames of division and the Prime Minister should summon the US ambassador immediately.”
Sir Keir Starmer has already branded Nigel Farage’s response to the case “unforgiveable” after the Reform UK leader called for the public to react with “pure cold rage.” Both Sir Keir and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have met the Nowak family separately. Badenoch said the family “do not want anger to tear communities apart,” while Sir Keir said the path forward was to “choose unity and progress over division and hatred.”
Henry Nowak, 18, was stabbed six times by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December 2025 after Digwa falsely told responding officers he had been the victim of a racist attack. Officers handcuffed the mortally wounded Henry and ignored his pleas that he had been stabbed as he lay dying. Digwa was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years for the murder.
