Lammy Rejects 'Two‑Tier' Policing Claims and Says He Told JD Vance His Comments Were 'Wrong'

Justice Secretary David Lammy told BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" there is no two‑tier policing in the UK following the murder of student Henry Nowak. Lammy said he had also spoken directly to US Senator JD Vance and told him that Vance's public comments on the case were "wrong".

Reactions And Controversy

Earlier this week, Senator Vance suggested Nowak's death had been fuelled by a "mass invasion of migrants", a remark that sparked sharp criticism and intensified public debate about race and policing. Lammy said such characterisations were unhelpful and risked inflaming tensions while inquiries are under way.

"I told him his comments were wrong," Lammy said of his exchange with Senator Vance, stressing the need for calm and for police investigations to proceed without political interference.

Political Responses

The case has prompted a wider appraisal of policing and race. Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf accused police forces of being "institutionally racist" and cited what he described as "structural anti‑white prejudice." Meanwhile, Conservative shadow energy minister Claire Coutinho has called for a "rapid review" of the Nowak investigation and warned that claims of racism are being "weaponised" within public services.

Lammy reiterated that policing in Britain is not operating a two‑tier system and urged the public to let inquiries run their course. Police and independent watchdogs are continuing their investigations into the circumstances surrounding Nowak's death.