David Lammy (left) and JD Vance (right)
British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said he called US Vice President JD Vance to tell him he was “wrong” in linking the killing of British teenager Henry Nowak by Sikh man Vikram Dhigoa to “mass migration”, saying the issue had “nothing to do” with immigration.Speaking to British television stations on Sunday, Lammy said he had an “acceptable but robust” conversation with Vance after the US vice president suggested that Novak’s killing reflected the consequences of what he called a “mass migrant invasion” on Western countries.According to Sky News, Lammy said he told Vance: “Look, Mr. Vice President, you are wrong about this,” stressing that the issue “has nothing to do with mass migration.”The intervention came after Vance posted on X that 18-year-old Novak’s death symbolized a broader civilizational decline, arguing that European leaders had failed to stand up against mass immigration and “the politics of self-hate.”
Lammy disputed this characterization, pointing out that the UK’s democratic and legal institutions were working properly. He noted that the perpetrator, Vikram Dhigwa, had been convicted, while multiple reviews of police conduct, sentencing and police directions were underway.
“This young man was British,” Lammy said, referring to Dejois, who was born in the United Kingdom. “Let’s be clear about that.”Degoa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years after being found guilty of Nowak’s murder in Southampton in December last year. During the incident, Degoa falsely claimed that he had been subjected to racist abuse and that he had acted in self-defence.Public outrage escalated after body camera footage showed Nowak lying on the ground telling officers he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe. While one officer asked: “You were stabbed? Where are you?”, another replied: “You don’t think you were stabbed, my friend.”Lammy said he also reminded Vance of the wishes of Nowak’s family, which has repeatedly urged people not to use the tragedy to inflame social divisions.“I urged him that it was not useful to tweet in this way,” Lammy said, adding that he reminded the vice president of the family’s call for calm and its desire to avoid turning the issue into one of “divisiveness and hatred.”According to Lamy, Vance defended his position by saying that what he saw as traditional Western values were under attack. However, the British minister said that he did not agree with what he described as the “caricature” that Vance painted of Western civilization and its decline.Despite the disagreement, Lamy stressed that the two still have a good relationship. The pair have developed an unlikely friendship over recent years and have maintained regular contact despite political differences.Henry Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, repeatedly called for his son’s death not to be politicized, saying after the sentencing that the family did not want to use the tragedy to create “further division, hatred or tension.”
