The Lead Untangles: Two-tier policing claims

Henry Nowak's tragic death has led to the phrase resurfacing and being used widely by Nigel Farage and Reform to whip up tensions

Farage was accused of inciting riots during this week’s PMQs

Nigel Farage has been accused of politicising the tragic death of Henry Nowak by claiming it is proof that Britain operates a “two-tier” policing system.

The claim has sparked a major political row, with the Prime Minister calling Farage’s response “unforgivable” and violent protests breaking out on the streets of Southampton.

Nowak was stabbed five times by Vickrum Digwa in December 2025. When police arrived, Digwa falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack — and officers handcuffed the dying Nowak while leaving Digwa unrestrained. Digwa was jailed for life on 28 May after a jury rejected his self-defence claim. The release of bodycam footage showing Nowak’s arrest as he lay dying has sparked national outrage and a highly politicised debate.

Farage jumped on the issue and called for “pure cold rage”. He has been accused of inciting the riots that broke out on Tuesday in Southampton, which led to 11 police officers and a police dog being injured. His critics – including the Prime Minister Keir Starmer – say he is exploiting a family’s grief to stoke division. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood denied claims of two-tier policing, stating, “I don’t think it’s helpful for us to start pitting either majority or minority communities against one another”.

Reform’s Robert Jenrick echoed claims of two-tier policing. He said: “Are we living in a country where the colour of your skin dictates, to an extent the way in which you’re treated before the law and anti white racism is not taken seriously whilst racism against ethnic minority communities is prioritised?”

What has Farage actually said?

Farage claimed Nowak had been treated “in a way where an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder”, and called the silence from political leaders “proof that we live in a two-tier police society.” He called for “pure cold rage” and demanded an end to what he described as “anti-white prejudice” in Britain.

At PMQs, he told the House of Commons: “The instructions that are given to police officers from police bosses are clear and written down in ink. It says you must treat different ethnic groups in different ways.”

When critics accused him of inflaming tensions, he doubled down: “You will get political commentators saying that I’ve stirred up this problem. Well, of course, they always do that. They don’t want to address the issue.”

His remarks are markedly different from those he made in the aftermath of Sarah Everard’s death – who was kidnapped and murdered by Metropolitan Police constable Wayne Couzens in March 2021.

At that time, he said her death “must not turn into attacks on men and police”.

What is two-tier policing?

The term “two-tier policing” has been growing in usage in recent years, but was originally used around the time of the 1981 Brixton riots in the context of over-policing and institutional racism against specific communities.

Increasingly though, the term has been co-opted by the far-right to suggest that police treat certain groups – particularly minorities – more favourably than others. Sometimes, this refers to people on the right versus the left. In this case, Farage is suggesting that white British people are treated more harshly than ethnic minorities.

While the term gained mainstream attention during the 2024 Southport riots, it had been building on the British right for several years.

Cases involving prosecutions for offensive social media posts, criticism for police handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and concerns over the treatment of grooming gang victims have all been cited as evidence by figures on the right that authorities in the UK have been quicker to act against some forms of extremism or criminal behaviour than others.

During the Southport riots, “two-tier policing” became a widespread rallying cry on the far-right, when the police made hundreds of arrests and courts handed down swift sentences in order to put a stop to the rioting, misinformation and violence.

Figures including X owner Elon Musk popularised calling Keir Starmer “Two Tier Keir”, while Farage said that “most of us think that ethnic minority groups are policed entirely differently to that of white British people”.

Where do the claims come from?

Farage’s comments at PMQs appeared to refer to a 2022 document called the Police Race Action Plan, which was drawn up to address racial bias in the police force. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) committed to “responding to individuals and communities according to their specific needs, circumstances and experiences,” and stated that this “does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’”.

This is not the only document that offers guidance for police behaviour. The College of Policing’s code of ethics states: “We earn the public’s confidence when we listen to what they have to say, make decisions that are fair and unbiased, and are open and honest about our decisions.”

The NPCC has since announced it will review the wording and that it will review the race guidance. But Sarah Jones, the policing minister, said that the commitment does not form the basis of any training or any police activity.

But it is not the first time this claim has been made. The National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, published by Baroness Louise Casey last year, found that the ethnicity of perpetrators involved in grooming gangs has been “shied away from” by authorities, with ethnicity not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators. The report said that ignorance and a fear of being seen as racist were part of the reason why.

Is there any evidence for two-tier policing in the UK?

Following proceedings, Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a 21-year minimum for murdering Henry Nowak. Despite the tragedy, his family has said “we do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.”

In general, there are no official figures on anti-white bias in operational policing. Last year, the Home Affairs Committee published a report on Monday on the police response to Southport riots and found there was no evidence of “two-tier policing” in officers’ handling of the levels of violence and criminality during the period. It branded the claims as “disgraceful”.

However, the figures that do exist show that there has been a longstanding bias against ethnic minorities, especially Black people. Police use of force – such as Taser use – and coercive powers such as stop and search – are used more often against Black people than white people. In 2022, IOPC found evidence of highly discriminatory messages being exchanged between Met officers.

In 2023, Dame Louise Casey’s investigation concluded again that the Met was institutionally racist. It found that one Muslim officer had bacon stuffed in his boots, a Sikh officer had his beard cut and minority ethnic officers were much more likely to be disciplined or leave, as well as excessive use of force and stop and search on Black people.

What comes next?

Henry Nowak’s family has called for full transparency and urged the Home Secretary to ensure the IOPC has the resources and independence to complete its work.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has been investigating the officers’ conduct since the night of the murder. It is examining body-worn video and material from the trial, and the officers involved are currently being treated as witnesses.

In a recent statement, IOPC engagement director Derrick Campbell, said: “This investigation is going to fully establish the circumstances of the case including whether there may be misconduct on the part of any of the officers involved.

“The ongoing commentary about the evidence and speculation risks prejudicing any potential processes and preventing Henry Nowak’s family getting the answers they deserve.”■

About the author: Ella Glover is the audience engagement editor at The Lead. She is also a freelance journalist specialising in workers’ rights, housing, health, harm reduction and lifestyle.

About The Lead Untangles: In an era where misinformation is actively and deliberately used by elected politicians and where advocates and opposers of beliefs state their point of view as fact, sometimes the most useful tool reporters have is to help readers make sense of the world. If there is something you’d like us to untangle, email ella@thelead.uk.

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