Foreign Secretary David Lammy meets with US Vice President
Foreign Secretary David Lammy meets with Vice President of the United States, JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference Elliot Vick / FCDO, CC BY 2.0

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has directly challenged US Vice President JD Vance over comments linking the murder of British teenager Henry Nowak to mass migration, telling him he was 'wrong' during a phone call on Saturday. Lammy said he pushed back against Vance's public statements, insisting the killer was British-born and that the case had 'nothing to do with mass migration', highlighting growing strain between London and Washington over how the tragedy is framed.

In an interview with Sky News and BBC Laura K, Lammy revealed he had spoken directly to Vance the previous day. 'I spoke to him yesterday and I told him he was wrong,' he said. 'This has got nothing to do with mass migration... the young man who perpetrated this crime was a Brit born and raised in this country.'

He added: 'We had an agreeable conversation but we disagreed. We've disagreed before on his perspective of Western civilisation. I don't recognise that perspective actually. Western civilisation has always been open to the world.'

Lammy also stressed that the Nowak family had called for calm, saying: 'They don't want division used on the back of what happened.'

Diplomatic Dispute Over A Tragic Killing

Henry Nowak, a first-year finance student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed to death on 3 December 2025 while walking home from a night out. His killer, British-born Vickrum Singh Digwa, was convicted of murder last week and sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years.

Vance had posted on X that Nowak 'died the same way a civilisation dies,' suggesting the tragedy is synonymous to wider issues of migration and cultural decline. Vance added,'His murder is as tragic as it is enraging. He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.'

Social Media Reacts To Lammy–Vance Row

Lammy's decision to describe his private conversation with Vance in public quickly prompted strong views online. Comedian and political commentator Jonathan Pie criticised what he saw as double standards, writing: 'Even taking into account JD Vance's habit of political shit-stirring in the UK, it's not possible to convincingly deny the double-standards on display here. I'd have more respect for David Lammy if he'd dropped the act and said: "Yeah fair enough, we really fucked this one up."'

Right-wing activist Tommy Robinson also commented, saying, 'Trevor Phillips exposed David Lammy selective outrage to the world this morning over his swipe at JD Vance regarding Henry Nowak. Surprised Sly news haven't quietly paid him off for being an actual journalist.'

Broadcaster Lee Harris praised a viral clip of Trevor Phillips questioning Lammy, writing, 'SUPERB! Trevor Phillip's BEAUTIFULLY exposes David Lammy and Labour's sickening hypocrisy. He shows him the receipts of them ALL saying it's ok to feel 'fury' and 'anger' over George Floyd, while they criticise Farage for saying the same about Henry Nowak. Satisfying to watch.'

As of Sunday evening, the US vice president's office had not issued a public response to Lammy's comments. Downing Street has described outside interference in the case as 'not helpful'. The Nowak family has asked for privacy and calm as they grieve.

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