Elon Musk ‘trying to whip up division’ over Henry Nowak murder, says Sir Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer has hit back at Elon Musk, accusing him of ‘trying to whip up division’ over the Henry Nowak murder case, and says there are ‘questions that need to be answered’ over policing

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Elon Musk of attempting to “whip up division” in the UK over Henry Nowak’s murder and declared Britain must “assert who we are” as “reasonable, tolerant people”.

The billionaire X owner has posted numerous times on his platform about the police response to the stabbing of the teenager in Southampton last year, criticising “how heinously Nowak was treated by the police in his dying moments”.

Violent protests erupted near where the 18-year-old was murdered amid an outcry over his treatment, after his killer Vickrum Digwa claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack, while Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police who ignored his pleas that he could not breathe as he lay dying.

The Prime Minister told reporters during a trip to York on Thursday: “We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division – that is not who we are in Britain.

He said: “We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division, that is not who we are in Britain.

“In Britain, we are reasonable, tolerant people. When we have a terrible case like Henry’s case, Henry Nowak, we react calmly as his family have done.”

Sir Keir Starmer has stated “there are questions that need to be answered” regarding the police treatment of Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed after being stabbed, and called on politicians not to “whip up division”.

“This is a tragic case,” the Prime Minister told reporters during a visit to York.

“Clearly there are questions that need to be answered in relation to the policing in this case.

“The IOPC is looking at that. I think we need to let them get on with their job.

“But we really need to listen to Henry’s family, because they’re asking us, as politicians, as leaders, not to use his case to whip up division, not to cause disturbances, we have to listen to them.

“They’re grieving, they’ve lost their son, and so everything I’ve tried to do in relation to this case has been grounded in what they must be going through.

“Yes, we need to answer those questions. Yes, I think it’s right that there may need to be changes and we shouldn’t shy away from that, not for one moment.

“But how we conduct ourselves as politicians is really important and I call on all the politicians, just listen again to what the family are asking of us.”

The Prime Minister went on to say it was “right” that the National Police Chiefs Council is examining anti-racism guidance and that it “needs to be done properly”.

“I do think there are questions like how do allegations of racism … inform police decisions in cases like this? We do need to ask those questions and I accept that.”