- JD Vance blamed Henry Nowak’s death on migration policies.
- Downing Street criticized attempts to create division.
- Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed in Southampton in 2025.
- Vickrum Digwa was convicted and jailed for life.
- UK politicians rejected Vance’s comments on the case.
The UK government has criticized comments made by vice president JD Vance about the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Vance posted on X about the case and linked the killing to what he called the "mass invasion of migrants." He said the "only response" to the incident was "righteous anger."
Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed in Southampton last year by Sikh Indian Vickrum Digwa. The case has received national attention following the release of police bodycam footage showing officers handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying after Digwa claimed he was the victim of a racist attack.
In his post, Vance wrote that Nowak had died "the same way a civilisation dies: abandoned and handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him".
He also described the killing as "tragic as it is enraging" and said Nowak would still be alive today "if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants".
The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that Digwa was born British.
Following Vance’s remarks, Downing Street issued a strong response. A spokesperson said the Nowak family had "said they do not want his death to be used to create further division".
The statement added: "Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country."
The murder led to violent protests in Southampton after the release of the police footage.
Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years. He used a 21-centimeter blade, which he said he carried as part of his Sikh faith, to kill Nowak. The attack happened while Nowak was walking home alone after a night out with friends on December 3.
UK politicians also criticized Vance’s comments.
Josh MacAlister, the minister for children and families, said: "There are people who are trying to import that kind of toxic politics here into the UK and I don't want to have anything to do with it."
He added: "I don't think we need advice from American politicians... [on] how to have effective policing here in the UK."
The case has become part of a wider political debate in Britain. Questions have been raised about the actions of police officers at the scene and whether any delay in treatment contributed to Nowak’s death.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct is underway. An inquest jury is also expected to examine whether any police actions or omissions played a role in the outcome.
Vance’s comments come as the Trump administration continues to focus heavily on immigration issues in the United States. President Donald Trump has frequently linked migration to concerns about national identity and has pursued policies aimed at deporting undocumented migrants.
The debate over Nowak’s death has also drawn attention from other public figures. Earlier in the week, UK prime minister Keir Starmer accused Elon Musk of "trying to whip up division" over the case.
The political reaction highlights how the murder of Henry Nowak and the questions surrounding the police response continue to fuel debate in both the UK and the United States.
