'Stop Interfering in British Politics': Starmer's Extraordinary Public Rebuke to Musk Over Viral Murder Case

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly criticised Elon Musk after the billionaire businessman used his social media platform X to comment on a murder case that has prompted public anger and political debate across Britain.

The dispute centres on the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by police while suffering fatal stab wounds after his killer falsely accused him of carrying out a racist attack. The killer, a Sikh man, was sentenced on Monday, but the release of video footage following the sentencing has placed the conduct of police officers under intense scrutiny.

The footage showed officers appearing to ignore the pleas of a dying Nowak, leading to questions about police actions and the treatment of different ethnic groups.

While Starmer on Thursday acknowledged there were serious concerns surrounding the case, he also condemned attempts to use the incident to deepen divisions, directing particular criticism at Musk for his comments on social media.

Starmer Accuses Musk of Fuelling Division

The Prime Minister's remarks came after Musk posted several comments on X about the case and shared criticism from other users of police officers' actions. Musk suggested that law enforcement authorities had treated the victim unfairly because he was white, accusing police of bias in their handling of the incident.

Addressing reporters, Starmer said Musk had crossed a line by involving himself in the debate. He accused the X owner of attempting to inflame tensions rather than contribute constructively to the discussion.

'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 said.

The Prime Minister's comments followed a turbulent week in which public anger over the case spilt onto the streets. A violent and disorderly protest took place on Tuesday night, an event Starmer strongly condemned. While acknowledging that police had difficult questions to answer about their conduct, he argued that exploiting the death to create conflict was unacceptable.

Starmer described such actions as 'unforgivable' and stressed that the focus should remain on accountability rather than encouraging hostility.

Musk, meanwhile, continued to post about the controversy. On Wednesday, he criticised what he described as society's treatment of accusations of racism.

'The West has created an utterly evil state religion where an accusation of "racism" is the gravest offence that can be committed, even worse than rape or murder!' Musk wrote on X.

Neither the government nor the police authorities accepted allegations that the case demonstrated bias in policing. X also did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Starmer's criticism of Musk.

Family Urges People Not To Exploit Tragedy

As political arguments intensified, Henry Nowak's family sought to distance themselves from attempts to use his death to fuel further conflict. The family met privately with Starmer on Thursday and expressed their concerns about how police officers treated the teenager during his final moments.

They described the treatment of Nowak as 'inhumane and degrading', echoing public concern that has followed the release of the video footage. At the same time, they urged people not to turn the tragedy into a source of wider division.

Following the sentencing of Nowak's killer, the family said his death should not be 'used to create further division, hatred or tension'.

The clash between Starmer and Musk is not the first disagreement between them. Musk has repeatedly criticised the Prime Minister, particularly over Starmer's previous role as Britain's chief public prosecutor between 2008 and 2013.

In January 2025, Musk accused Starmer of failing to prosecute gangs of men, most of whom were of South Asian background, who sexually abused girls during that period. Starmer rejected those claims and defended his record.

The Prime Minister has also backed a Labour lawmaker pursuing legal action against Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI. The lawmaker alleged that the Grok AI platform had been used to generate fake sexualised images of her.

Starmer has previously criticised Grok over the circulation of such images. His comments led X to take steps to comply with UK law.

The latest dispute, however, centres on a case that has touched a nerve across Britain. While questions remain over the conduct of police officers involved in Henry Nowak's final moments,