Claim a02bb66eChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“Henry’s father asked that an appeal for rage not happen.”
—Keir StarmerLabourThe Prime Minister·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · historical current chronological
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was murdered in Southampton in December 2025 by Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 1, 2026. After the sentencing, Henry's father, Mark Nowak, made a statement outside court. According to multiple sources (BBC, Hansard, ABC News), Mark Nowak said: "We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone." BBC News also reported that he "appealed for calm outside the court."
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, released a video calling for people to respond with "pure, cold rage," which triggered protests and disorder in Southampton. Keir Starmer's characterization was that "Henry's father asked that an appeal for rage not happen." While the father did not specifically use the word "rage" or explicitly name Farage, his plea was against his son's death being used to create "further division, hatred or tension" and he explicitly appealed for calm. Farage's call for "pure, cold rage" falls squarely within the category of inflammatory, divisive responses the father was asking people not to make. The father's words were more general than the specific phrasing of the claim, but the core assertion — that the father asked for the kind of response Farage was making not to happen — is accurate. This minor qualification does not materially affect the truth of the core assertion.
Sources:
- BBC News, "PM accuses Farage of exploiting Nowak case and denies 'two-tier policing'" — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgz23p8117o
- BBC News, "Starmer accuses Musk of trying to whip up division over Henry Nowak murder" — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e2ww900zno
- Hansard, UK Parliament, "Prime Minister" (2026-06-03) — https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-06-03/debates/0258B9EB-0744-4475-9B89-486CC9238A26/PrimeMinister
- ABC News, "Keir Starmer urges calm after protests over handcuffed Henry Nowak's death" — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-04/starmer-urges-calm-after-protests-over-student-henry-nowak-death/106757326
- The Independent, "Nigel Farage condemned for 'exploiting' murder of Henry Nowak" — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-henry-nowak-murder-pmqs-riots-b2988966.html
- Politics Home, "Keir Starmer Accuses Nigel Farage Of 'Unforgiveable' Response To Henry Nowak Murder" — https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/keir-starmer-accuses-nigel-farage-unforgiveable-response-henry-nowak-murder
From speech
The grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded. They have lost their son in the most appalling circumstances, and they make a simple plea of us as human beings to please not exploit that. We all need to reflect on the words of Henry’s father. My response—and the response of others, to be fair—has been focused on the lessons to be learned so that we can deliver justice. The hon. Gentleman’s response has been to appeal for rage. That is his response to a father who has lost his son and asked for that not to happen. Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances, but to do it when the family are expressly saying, “Please don’t,” is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.
Sources opened
| [1] | youtube.com |
| [2] | abc.net.au |
| [3] | politicshome.com |
| [4] | the-independent.com |
| [5] | ukpol.co.uk |
| [6] | hansard.parliament.uk |
| [7] | bbc.co.uk |
| [8] | independent.co.uk |
| [9] | bbc.co.uk |
| [10] | independent.co.uk |