UK Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy has revealed that he directly challenged US Vice President JD Vance over comments linking the murder of Henry Nowak to immigration, telling him that his claims were wrong and risked deepening divisions.
Speaking in an interview with Sky News, Lammy said he spoke with Vance after the US vice president suggested that Nowak’s murder was a consequence of what he described as a “mass invasion of migrants.” Vance had argued that the appropriate response to the killing was “righteous anger,” comments that sparked criticism from the UK government.
Downing Street swiftly condemned the remarks, accusing individuals of attempting to interfere in Britain’s democratic process and inflame tensions at a sensitive time.
Lammy said he used the conversation to explain that the UK’s institutions were already responding appropriately to the case and that the country’s justice system was functioning as intended.
According to him, the individual responsible for the crime had been convicted, while separate investigations involving the police, sentencing issues and operational guidance were ongoing.
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“The democratic process is working,” Lammy said, stressing that several independent reviews were already underway.
He also rejected Vance’s attempt to connect the case to migration, noting that the convicted individual was British.
“I told him this has got nothing to do with mass migration,” Lammy said. “This young man was a Brit. I said, ‘Mr Vice President, you’re wrong about this.’”
The Labour politician further pointed out that murder rates in the United Kingdom have been declining, challenging suggestions that the country is facing a crime crisis linked to immigration.
Despite their disagreement, Lammy described the discussion as respectful and cordial. He said Vance raised concerns about what he views as the erosion of Western values, an issue the vice president has spoken about publicly on several occasions.
Lammy added that he urged Vance to avoid making inflammatory comments on social media, particularly in light of appeals from the Nowak family, who have called for the tragedy not to be used to fuel hatred or political division.
“The family have asked for common sense and unity, not division,” Lammy said.
While the exchange highlighted growing differences between some UK and US political figures on issues of migration and public discourse, Lammy said the conversation ended amicably, even though both men remained firmly opposed on the central issue.
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