Starmer accuses Musk of inciting division over Henry Nowak murder

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has directly accused tech billionaire Elon Musk of attempting to sow discord regarding the recent murder of Henry Nowak. The accusation comes after footage emerged showing police handcuffing the 18-year-old as he lay dying, despite his repeated claims of being unable to breathe.

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We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division – that is not who we are in Britain.

Musk, the owner of X, has used his platform to criticize the police's handling of the situation. His posts have drawn Starmer's ire, who stated during a visit to York that Musk was interfering in British politics. "We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division – that is not who we are in Britain," Starmer declared.

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In Britain, we are reasonable, tolerant people. When we have a terrible case like Henry's case, Henry Nowak, we react calmly, as his family have done.

Starmer characterized Britain as a nation of "reasonable, tolerant people" who react calmly to tragedies, citing the Nowak family's own appeal for composure. He noted that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the officers' actions, and the National Police Chiefs Council's guidance on race is under review in light of the case.

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I think it's right that there may need to be changes and we shouldn't shy away from that, not for one moment. But how we conduct ourselves now as politicians is really important.

When questioned about potential misconduct investigations against the officers, Starmer acknowledged the possibility of necessary changes but stressed the importance of politicians' conduct. He urged all politicians to heed the family's request for calm and leadership, warning against allowing the case to be exploited to fuel division.

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And I call on all politicians, all politicians, to just listen again to what the family are asking of us, which is to remain calm, to show the leadership that's needed here and not allow this case to be used to whip up division.