Nigel Farage warned ‘phrases matter’ as Henry Nowak homicide feedback face backlash
Policing Minister Sarah Jones said his comments were “irresponsible” and “unhelpful” after violent clashes between protesters and police in Southampton on Monday night
Nigel Farage called for “pure cold rage” in response to Henry Nowak’s murder(Image: Getty Images)
Nigel Farage has been warned “words matter” after he called for “pure cold rage” in response to Henry Nowak’s murder.
Policing Minister Sarah Jones said his comments were “irresponsible” and “unhelpful” after violent clashes between protesters and police in Southampton on Monday night. Ms Jones said she understood the anger the case had caused, but appealed for calm after two people were arrested.
Asked about Mr Farage’s comments, Ms Jones said: “I just think they’re so unhelpful. I think, of course, when you look at that footage and – I’ve got boys and myself and when I look at that footage, it’s awful and you feel the kind of a visceral response and anger that is there and that is there is right to feel.
“But to try and take those emotional responses that we’re all having and stir it into a call to action that is going to divide us even further is so irresponsible. and I would just say to all politicians, words matter. We need to be careful what we say. We need to let the IOPC do their job, and we need to respect what the family has asked us to do.”
On Monday evening, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also hit out at people “hijacking” the stabbing of 18-year-old Nowak. She pointed to his family’s “powerful call” not to let Henry’s death be used to create further division, hatred or tension. She added: “There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder.”
Laila Cunningham, Reform’s London mayoral candidate for the 2028 elections, defended Mr Farage’s comments, saying “he wasn’t talking about rage against anyone”. She continued: “He wasn’t talking about anyone hating anyone or any division. He was talking about rage at a system.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Mr Farage’s comment, telling the Times: “Telling the public that what they need to do is rage is not what someone who is proposing that they become the prime minister should be saying.
“For all of those who are putting ourselves up to be prime minister in this country, we should be acting like statesmen and women, not acting like rabble-rousers. We don’t need rage. We need courage and bravery and cool heads, not anger and whipping people up.”
Meanwhile, Reform also came under fire after releasing a disingenuous attack advert criticising Mrs Badenoch for saying she didn’t want to hear about “White Lives Matter” in a TV interview on Monday.
One Labour MP branded it “shameless misinformation” as it failed to reflect Mrs Badenoch’s full comments, which were: “I don’t want to hear about Black Lives Matter. I don’t want to hear about White Lives Matter. Everyone matters. Henry Nowak matters.”
Connor Naismith, the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, said: “I am not Kemi Badenoch’s biggest fan, but I think we have a duty to call out shameless misinformation on a cross party basis. I watched this clip in its entirety and it is not a fair representation of what she said. Farage is flagrantly disregarding the Nowak family’s wishes.”
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life on Monday with a minimum term of 21 years for stabbing Henry, 18, six times with a religious blade he was carrying in Southampton.
Hampshire Police has been heavily criticised after officers handcuffed Henry, a finance student at Southampton University, as he bled to death as Digwa watched on. One of the officers involved has resigned, the force today confirmed.
In bodyworn camera footage from the incident, Henry can be heard saying four times : “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”
Henry’s dad Mark Nowak told reporters outside court on Monday that the treatment his son received from police was “inhumane and degrading” but said he did not want the case to sow further division.
Mr Nowak said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone. That is why we are calling on the government to treat knife crime as the national emergency that it is.”
In a social media video on Monday, Reform UK leader Mr Farage said: “We’re living in a two-tier culture in this country where the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities.” And he said: “We need a change in culture. White lives matter too.”
And he went on: “We should respond to this with pure cold rage.”
Reform UK unveiled plans to enact an “Equal Treatment Act” if it is elected, which would ban Police Race Action Plans, scrap diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, and end the exemption for Sikhs to carry large bladed weapons.
