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Starmer says he ‘felt sick’ watching video of Henry Nowak’s arrest – UK politics live | Politics

Published

2 months ago

June 2, 2026

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Starmer says he felt ‘sick’ watching Nowak video – but criticises Farage for saying response to his murder should be ‘pure rage’

Keir Starmer has condemned Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, for saying that people should respond to the murder of Henry Nowak with “with pure cold rage”.

In a pooled TV interview, Starmer said that was “the wrong reaction”. He went on:

I start my answer to your question through the eyes of the family. They have said they do not want this whipped up. They have been through the most extraordinary, awful experience. They don’t want this whipped up, and Nigel Farage is completely wrong to use this to try and create division.

He would be wrong in any circumstances, but when Henry’s family are saying, ‘Please don’t do that, it’s our son,’ then really, as politicians, as human beings, we should start where they start, and that’s where I start.

Asked if he agreed with Kemi Badenoch that there should be a Macpherson-style inquiry into whether the anti-racist culture in the police should go too far, Starmer said that he was not ruling that out. But he said the Independent Office of Police Conduct should be allowed to finish their inquiry into how officers handled this case first.

Starmer also said he felt “sick” watching the video footage of Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying.

I have seen the body cam footage, it’s harrowing, and I have to say, as a father of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick watching it.

It is absolutely right that the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) are looking at this.

There are clearly serious questions that need to be addressed, not least how accusations of racism informed the decision making in this case.

But my thoughts, I am sure the thoughts of everybody in this country, are with Henry’s family.

His life has been stolen and they are understandably devastated, and that is where I start in this.

Key events

Afternoon summary

Let me assure you, I’ve complied with the humble address. All the messages I hold have been passed over. I went through the same process as everybody else, and many people, not just in politics, use disappearing messages.

For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.

Yvette Cooper meeting with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi at Diaoyutai Guest House in Beijing.
Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Starmer says he felt ‘sick’ watching Nowak video – but criticises Farage for saying response to his murder should be ‘pure rage’

Keir Starmer has condemned Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, for saying that people should respond to the murder of Henry Nowak with “with pure cold rage”.

In a pooled TV interview, Starmer said that was “the wrong reaction”. He went on:

I start my answer to your question through the eyes of the family. They have said they do not want this whipped up. They have been through the most extraordinary, awful experience. They don’t want this whipped up, and Nigel Farage is completely wrong to use this to try and create division.

He would be wrong in any circumstances, but when Henry’s family are saying, ‘Please don’t do that, it’s our son,’ then really, as politicians, as human beings, we should start where they start, and that’s where I start.

Starmer also said he felt “sick” watching the video footage of Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying.

I have seen the body cam footage, it’s harrowing, and I have to say, as a father of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick watching it.

It is absolutely right that the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) are looking at this.

There are clearly serious questions that need to be addressed, not least how accusations of racism informed the decision making in this case.

But my thoughts, I am sure the thoughts of everybody in this country, are with Henry’s family.

His life has been stolen and they are understandably devastated, and that is where I start in this.

More than 100 MPs sign amendment to elections bill calling for national commission on PR

Andy Burnham, who is campaigning to be Labour MP for Makerfield on the basis that he could replace Keir Starmer as PM soon after the byelection, is in favour of proportional representation (PR). He says, if he were to become PM, he would include this in Labour’s next election.

In parliament, supporters of PR claim the popularity of their cause is growing. The all-party parliamentary group for fair elections says more than 100 MPs have now signed an amendment to the representation of the people bill a National Commission on Electoral Reform.

Alex Sobel, the Labour MP show chairs the APPG, says:

We’ve got two thirds of seats [in parliament], the Labour party, on a third of the vote.

If you look at recent council elections, Reform won two-thirds of the seats on a third of the vote in more than one local authority.

So the system is shattered. It’s a 19th century voting system in a 21st century political reality, and the two things need to come to a head.

So far the amendent has been signed by 72 Labour MPs, 24 Lib Dems, all five Green MPs, and the one Alliance MP.

Starmer says government to update cabinet manual

Keir Starmer has announced that the government is going to update the cabinet manual, the guide for ministers explaining the laws and conventions that determine how the government operates. In a written ministerial statement, he says the current text is 15 years old and out of date. He says

The manual was first published in 2011 and has not been updated since. As a result, it has become significantly out of date, most notably in its descriptions of general elections, the UK’s relationship with the EU, and the devolution settlements. Its value for ministers and officials, helping them navigate the UK’s constitutional arrangements, has been diminished by this lack of accuracy. An update will therefore restore the manual’s status as an authoritative guide.

When the manual was published in 2011, the UK was still in the EU. And elections were governed by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, which had just been passed. The Scottish parliament and the Senedd have both obtained new powers since 2011 too.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, the new Welsh first minister, has used his first question time in the Senedd to say that he intends to get rid of the longest hospital waits in Wales within months, the BBC reports.

Labour figures who wrote competing ‘manifestos’ join forces to warn against tribalism

Two of Labour’s leading policy figures, who put forward “manifestos” for Andy Burnham and a centrist grouping, are to join forces to help forge new ideas for a future government, Jessica Elgot reports.

Mathew Lawrence, the director of Common Wealth, who authored the Manchesterism essay, and Mark McVitie, who wrote the Labour Growth Group’s An Honest Day, said Labour must reject the idea of “tribes” – such as blue Labour, new Labour and soft left – and find common ground in opposing high everyday costs and predatory capitalism.

They have written a joint article for the New Statesman. Here’s an extract.

Our diagnosis is the same. Britain pays too much for the basics because the state has lost control of the foundations ordinary life and enterprise depend on. Housing, energy, water, transport, care and local infrastructure have become too expensive, too fragile and too extractive. Government then spends ever more compensating people for costs it has failed to remove at source. That is the maintenance of decline, and left unbroken it leads to only one political outcome: a total takeover by the forces of populism.

The answer is where our ideas can converge. This lies in remaking what the state is for – not distributing while the pie shrinks, but creating the conditions for cheap and reliable essentials, where contribution is rewarded, extraction is disciplined and Britain can build the productive assets it needs. A state that sets out to be productive before it has become capable will fail. It will hand its new public corporation the same planning delays, legal timidity and procurement failures that already frustrate reform. But a state that recovers its capability and then refuses to use it for its people has won a barren victory. One of us has written about how the state recovers the power to act, the other about what it should do with that power where the market has stopped serving the public. A state that wants to be productive must first become capable. A state that has become capable has no excuse not to be productive. We believe in the power of markets. We want more challengers, more productive risk-taking, more firms able to scale, more entrepreneurs building in Britain – rather than selling early and leaving.

There are 11 Sikh MPs in parliament, all Labour. They have put out a joint statement today expressing support for the family of Henry Nowak and saying people should not allow his murder to “divide communities or fuel hostility towards innocent people”. The letter has been been organised by Jas Athwal, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for British Sikhs. He says:

Henry Nowak was brutally murdered in a senseless act of violence by Vickrum Digwa.

The Sikh community stands with Henry’s family and friends as they come to terms with his loss.

We share the grief, shock and anger at his murder and stand with his family in the pursuit of truth and justice.

We urge people to not allow the actions of this one murderer to divide communities and fuel hostility towards innocent people.

Letter Photograph: Jas Athwal

Burnham condemns ‘profiteering’ by water companies

Andy Burnham criticised “profiteering” by water companies, citing the industry as a classic example of where privatisation has failed consumers.

While campaigning in the Makerfield byelection today, Burnham said United Utilities, which is based in the north-west, should cancel the final dividend due to be paid to shareholders in August and redistribute the money to lower costs for consumers instead, after the company’s profits surged following an increase in bills.

He said:

There is simply no justification for profiteering on this scale when people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

This confirms why people feel the system is rigged against them. It makes the case for essential public services coming back under public control.

He said water was a “classic case” where privatisation had failed.

Forty years of neoliberalism in Britain has left us with essential services, which the public have no choice but to use, which work to serve private vested interests over the public interest.

The water industry is a classic case of one where the shareholders always win and the bill payers always lose.

People are right to be angry that they are being asked to pay for bill hikes they cannot afford, only for their hard-earned cash to pour into the pockets of shareholders.

He said excess profits in the sector were “unjustifiable” and added: “Water companies should put these surging profits into lowering bills, improving services and protecting communities.”

As the Press Association reports, Burnham also called on the government to make it mandatory for housing developers to implement the highest standards for flood resilience at project and household level in areas at risk of flooding. Residents in the Makerfield constituency faced flooding in 2015 and 2025, with some still not able to return to their homes, Burnham said.

Andy Burnham visiting Platt Bridge Community Centre in Wigan today. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

Mahmood tells Reform UK not to ‘pit white Britons against non-white Britons’ in response to Nowak murder

Robert Jenrick, the Reform UK Treasury spokesperson who used to be the Tory justice spokeperson, said the police officer who handcuffed Henry Nowak should be “prosecuted for a total dereliction of duty”.

But what mattered was why the officer acted like that, he said. Like Chris Philp (see 2.22pm), he also mentioned Valdo Calocane and Axel Rudakubana. He claimed there was “a sickness rooted in the anti-racism agenda” and he urged Mahmood to root it out.

Mahmood replies:

I don’t think this is a moment to pit white Britons against non-white Britons. This is a moment to reflect on a horrific tragedy.

She said everyone should be equal before the law.

That applies whether you’re a non-white British family that arrived here 50 years ago or 10 years ago, or if you’re a white Brit whose family have been here for about 300 years or more; we are all equal before the law of our land, and we should all support that principle.

Labour’s Tan Dhesi also condemned Reform UK for their response to the Nowak murder. He told MPs:

What’s very galling is that the likes of Reform, Restore and the far-right decided to politicise people’s pain, attacking the Sikh community for wearing the kirpan and wanting it banned – even though the kirpan was not used in this violent attack.

And they’ve decided to scapegoat and throw under the bus an entire community based on the actions of one violent murderer.

In her response to Wilkinson (see 2.51pm), Mahmood endorsed what he said about Nigel Farage – but without referencing him directly.

She said:

Anyone using this tragedy, this horrific, vile act of murder, in order to stoke further division in our country should be rejected by everyone across this house.

Political grandstanding and further division is not what is needed.

Clear-eyed action, and a commitment to ensuring all of our citizens are equal before the law of our collective land, is what is needed.

Lib Dems condemn Farage for using Nowak case ‘to divide British communities’

Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, told MPs that most politicians had responded to the Henry Nowak case with sensitivyt. But not Nigel Farage, he said.

Referring to the Reform UK leader, Wilkinson said:

It is therefore all the more disturbing that we have seen [Farage] once again using tragedy to divide British communities. We all know why he does this. He’s made a career out of this and has become rich as a result.

But we are also well aware, as he is, that his actions are divisive, dangerous and fundamentally and un-British.

Mahmood says she won’t accept ‘differential treatment’ from police – but warns against over-correcting in response to Nowak case

In response to Philip, Mahmood said that the government was considering its response to the first report from the inquiry into the Southport killings, and the Nottingham inquiry is still taking place.

On the police anti-racism commitment (see 2.22pm), she said that initiative began life when the Tories were in power. She went on:

In fact, I’m old enough to remember when Theresa May called out disproportionate use of stop and search for black communities in particular.

She said the police should maintain the confidence of all communites.

Philp should accept the “context here relating to racism and the police”, she said.

Whatever changes are made, it is important that nobody over-corrects or course-corrects such that all of us as citizens are no longer equal before the law.

She said Philp should not ignore the “historic and legitimate concerns” from some communities about policing. She went on:

I condemn all types of differential and every type of differential, treatment. I do not stand for it.

My own track record as a government minister shows I will always act when there is evidence of differential treatment. And it is absolutely vital that that message is heard loud and clear across the whole of our country.

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Driver killed in Bedford train crash named

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

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The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.

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Spain v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

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Key events

In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.

Oyarzabal profile

Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.

“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “

News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.

“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.

“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”

Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.

Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.

The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.

The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.

An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.

In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.

For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:

“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.

“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”

Saturday’s match reports here.

The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same ⁠team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.

“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are ⁠missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against ‌Cape Verde.

“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you ‌should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.

“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.

“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.

“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”

The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”

Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.

The teams – Lamine Yamal starts

Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.

Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.

Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)

Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?

Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.

Al-Aqidi profile

Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat

The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.

The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.

Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.

“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.

Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.

Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.

A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.

Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP

Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?

Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.

Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.

“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”

A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.

“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”

We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.

The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.

Lamine Yamal profile

Preamble

Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.

Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.

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