Starmer accuses Elon Musk of trying to 'whip up division' over Henry Nowak murder case

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accuses Elon Musk of "whipping up division" over the murder of Henry Nowak, 18, who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying. Musk has used the case to allege anti-white bias, fueling violent protests in Southampton. Starmer and other leaders have met with Nowak's family, who have appealed for calm, while an official investigation into police conduct is underway.

Henry Nowak murder case

• ▪Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed to police that he had been the victim of a racist attack by Henry Nowak
• ▪Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December 2025
• ▪Henry Nowak's father, Mark Nowak, publicly appealed for calm and asked that his son's death not be used to create division
• ▪Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for murdering Henry Nowak

Police bodycam footage controversy

• ▪Released police bodycam footage showed officers handcuffing 18-year-old Henry Nowak as he lay dying from stab wounds
• ▪Police officers misidentified online as being involved in the arrest have been forced to leave their homes due to threats
• ▪The Hampshire Police Federation suspended its social media platforms after its members received "serious threats"

Elon Musk political interference

• ▪On his platform X, Elon Musk urged users to share the video of Nowak's arrest and criticized media for being "dead silent" compared to the George Floyd case
• ▪UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Elon Musk of "interfering in our politics" and "trying to whip up division" over the Henry Nowak case
• ▪Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Elon Musk of a "coordinated campaign of foreign interference in British democracy"
• ▪Labour MP Jess Asato is suing Elon Musk's company xAI, alleging its Grok tool was used to create fake sexualised images of her
• ▪Elon Musk has repeatedly posted content arguing the Nowak case demonstrates that the UK is biased against white people

Police conduct investigation

• ▪The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the conduct of the officers who arrested Henry Nowak
• ▪The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) is reviewing its guidance on race as a result of the case
• ▪Keir Starmer said "difficult questions" must be answered about the police's handling of the murder and promised to "right the wrongs in this case."

Political leaders appeal calm

• ▪Keir Starmer accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of exploiting the tragedy by calling for "pure, cold rage" against the family's wishes
• ▪On June 4, 2026, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Henry Nowak's mother, father, and stepmother in Downing Street
• ▪Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also met with Henry Nowak's family on June 4, 2026, and praised their courage
• ▪Henry Nowak's family asked politicians to work across parties and religions to rebuild trust in the police

Southampton violent protests

• ▪Violent protests took place in Southampton after the release of the police bodycam footage