SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND — U.K. Justice Secretary David Lammy rejected a U.S. State Department assessment that characterized the U.K. as having a two-tier policing system. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer also rejected the State Department's assessment.
The State Department released a statement concerning the policing response to the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak. The U.S. Embassy in London reposted the statement on social media. The State Department stated, "Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline. They must be rejected across the West."
Lammy said, "I don't recognize this caricature of Britain having a two-tier criminal justice system. Everybody has got to be equal before the law, that is a fundamental concept in our Democratic settlement." The Liberal Democrats political party requested that U.S. Ambassador Warren Stephens be summoned.
Henry Nowak died following a stabbing in Southampton in December 2025. Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison for killing Nowak. Police bodycam footage showed officers placing handcuffs on Nowak as he reported difficulty breathing and visible injuries. Digwa told police he was a victim of a racially motivated attack; investigators determined the claim was false.
Starmer said, "There are serious questions to answer, including how accusations of racism informed police thinking. Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances." Starmer also stated that Elon Musk is interfering in U.K. politics, and Lammy stated that Musk should not involve himself in the situation.