Downing Street has formally rejected suggestions from US Vice President JD Vance and the US State Department that the United Kingdom is experiencing "two-tier policing." The diplomatic friction follows Vance’s intervention regarding the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, which officials claim is an attempt to stir division within British democracy.
The death of Henry Nowak has moved from a local tragedy to a global diplomatic flashpoint. What began as a criminal investigation into a brutal stabbing has escalated into a confrontation between the UK government and the Trump administration, as American leaders use the case to frame a broader narrative of Western decline.
The bodycam footage that ignited the controversy
The catalyst for the current unrest was the release of bodycam footage showing the final moments of the 18-year-old student. The video, which sparked violent protests in Southampton on Tuesday, shows police officers handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying. This occurred after his killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed to be the victim of a racist attack.
The details of the crime, which occurred on 3 December, have left the public grappling with the circumstances of the perpetrator’s actions and the police response.
- Victim: Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student.
- Perpetrator: Vickrum Digwa, who is British-born.
- Weapon: A 21cm (8in) blade, which Digwa claimed he carried as part of his Sikh faith.
- Verdict: Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years.
The fallout from the footage was immediate. In Southampton, protesters clashed with riot police, pelting officers with missiles. The violence resulted in eleven officers and one police dog being injured, leading to two arrests.
Vance’s ‘righteous anger’ and the US State Department’s critique
While the UK focuses on the criminal proceedings, US Vice President JD Vance has used the tragedy to launch a scathing indictment of European governance. RTE.ie reported that Vance called for "righteous anger" in response to the killing, explicitly linking the incident to broader migration trends.
“Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization 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.
The rhetoric was not limited to Vance. The US State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, issued a statement that mirrored the Vice President’s alarm, characterizing the UK’s policing environment as symptomatic of a wider crisis.
“Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline. They must be rejected across the West.”US State Department, via BBC
This concept of two-tier policing—the allegation that minority communities receive preferential treatment because officers fear accusations of racism—has become a central pillar of the political argument. Even tech billionaire Elon Musk weighed in on X, urging followers to share the footage to show how police "cravenly kowtowed to his murderer."
Downing Street’s rejection of foreign interference
The British government has been swift in its pushback, viewing the American comments as an overreach into domestic affairs. The Guardian noted that while Downing Street insists the UK-US relationship remains "incredibly strong," they categorically reject the suggestion of two-tier policing in the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has accused figures like Musk of trying to whip up division, while also targeting Reform leader Nigel Farage. During PMQs on Wednesday, Starmer accused Farage of exploiting the death to create grievance and division, following Farage’s suggestion that the public should react with pure, cold rage.
The response from the Cabinet has been equally firm. BBC reported that Minister for Children Josh MacAlister told Radio 4: "I don’t think we need advice from American politicians … [on] how to have effective policing here in the UK."
A spokesperson for No. 10 emphasized the need for decorum, noting that the Nowak family has expressed a desire for their grief not to be used to fuel further hatred or tension.
Sikh leaders and the reality of the Southampton unrest
As the political battle rages in London and Washington, community leaders are working to prevent the case from being used to fuel communal tensions. A group of 11 Sikh MPs released a statement condemning the brutal murder of the 18-year-old, but they were careful to decouple the crime from religious identity.
Crucially, the MPs clarified that the killing was not about Sikhism, noting that the weapon used by Digwa was not a kirpan—the ceremonial dagger traditionally carried by Sikh men.
On the ground, the policing reality remains a point of intense contention. While the "two-tier" narrative gains traction in political circles, the acting chief of West Midlands Police, Constable Scott Green, has rejected the claim’s validity.
“What I see every day from the officers and staff and volunteers on the front line is people out there doing the very best they can everyday, for the communities they serve,”Constable Scott Green, via BBC
The intersection of a high-profile murder, controversial police footage, and intense international political commentary has created a volatile environment. Whether the UK government can maintain domestic stability while navigating this diplomatic friction will likely define the political landscape for the coming months.