Britain’s deputy prime minister pushed back against U.S. Vice President JD Vance this week after Vance linked the murder of an 18-year-old student in Southampton, England, to immigration — a characterization U.K. officials say misrepresents the facts of the case.
David Lammy, who serves as both deputy prime minister and justice minister, described a phone conversation with Vance on Saturday as “robust,” saying he was direct in challenging the Vice President’s public statements. “This has got nothing to do with mass migration,” Lammy said, adding that while the exchange was cordial given the two men’s personal relationship, he made clear his disagreement with how Vance had framed the killing.
The Case
Henry Nowak, 18, died in December after being stabbed in Southampton. The attacker, Vickrum Digwa, 23, used an 8-inch Sikh ceremonial dagger. Following the stabbing, Digwa falsely told police that Nowak had assaulted him in a racially motivated attack, causing officers to initially treat Nowak — who was wounded — as a suspect before the true circumstances became clear.
Digwa was convicted of murder this week and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 21 years. Digwa is Sikh; Nowak was white. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an inquiry into how officers handled the scene.
Vance’s Post and the U.K. Response
Vance posted on the social platform X attributing the killing in part to what he described as a “mass invasion of migrants.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office responded critically, taking aim at those it said were “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.”
Lammy acknowledged his personal rapport with Vance — rooted in shared religious convictions and similar family backgrounds — but said that relationship made it more important, not less, to correct what he viewed as factual errors. “We had an agreeable conversation because we have got a relationship,” Lammy said, “but I wanted to make him clear that I disagree with some of the facts that he was asserting and to present the facts to him.”
Unrest in Southampton
Tensions in Southampton escalated after a demonstration linked to Nowak’s death drew far-right figures earlier in the week. During and after the event, police officers were struck with chairs, cans, rocks, and flares. Authorities are monitoring the situation as community tensions remain elevated.
The dispute between Lammy and Vance reflects a broader pattern of friction between U.S. and European officials over how American political figures characterize crime and immigration policy in allied nations. Similar dynamics have played out in recent months across several European countries, where domestic criminal cases have become flash points in international debates over migration. As political leaders in both countries navigate those tensions, developments in cases like this one — where the convicted attacker’s immigration status was not a factor — are likely to remain contested ground.
For more on international political developments and their intersection with U.S. policy, see our coverage of Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner’s ongoing campaign and other races where national narratives are shaping local politics.