MPs call on Nigel Farage to condemn violent Southampton protests at PMQs

Nigel Farage was urged to condemn the violent protests that broke out in Southampton last night after saying that people should react with “pure cold rage” over Henry Nowak’s death.

At PMQs, Farage repeated a claim he made in a speech yesterday that Nowak’s case is evidence of “two-tier policing” in the UK, arguing that white people are treated worse than ethnic minorities. 

Police bodycam footage released earlier this week shows Vickrum Digwa, who has now been jailed for Nowak’s murder, telling police that Nowak had attacked him and removed his turban. The court found that Digwa had lied. 

Nowak was handcuffed by police as he said he couldn’t breathe and that he had been stabbed. The 18-year-old student sadly died as he was being read his rights.

Farage said the police’s treatment of Nowak had caused unrest, referring to “the anger that you saw spilling out in Southampton”, before being interrupted by MPs repeatedly shouting at him to “condemn the violence!”.

“You need to condemn the violence!,” another chimed in.

The Reform leader claimed that the violence is “in danger of getting considerably worse”. In response, one MP said: “Because you incited it!”.

Lib Dem MP Luke Taylor said: “You should be ashamed of yourself!”.

Farage told the prime minister that “people will lose trust in being treated fairly by the police”, adding: “Can he take some action, end this divisive practice of two-tier policing and make sure all British citizens are treated the same.”

After Farage finished his question, one MP can be heard saying: “That is shocking.”

Keir Starmer dismissed Farage’s claim outright in his response, stating: “Mr Speaker, I don’t believe there is two-tier policing in this country.”

He then criticised Farage for “exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division”, and concluded: “It shows exactly who he is.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward