During her interview on the Today programme, Sarah Jones declined to confirm whether officers involved in the arrest of Henry Nowak remained on duty, noting that the Independent Office of Police Conduct was handling the matter. She acknowledged knowing the answer but stated it was not appropriate for her to comment as policing minister. When questioned about officers potentially showing dereliction of duty, Jones reiterated that the IOPC must decide. She added that she must allow the IOPC to complete its work regarding any officers attending incidents. Jones was also asked whether she could confirm the absence of two-tier policing in the UK. She emphasised that everyone is equal under the law and that police handle most of the 100,000 daily emergency calls appropriately. She acknowledged mistakes occur and stressed the need to learn lessons while upholding policing by consent and equality under the law. On whether anti-white racism influenced the treatment of Nowak, Jones described the footage as deeply troubling and said the IOPC investigation must proceed, with consequences to follow its findings. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, delivered an emergency address claiming the case demonstrated unfair treatment of white people compared to the response after George Floyd’s death. He called for an end to what he described as anti-white prejudice and two-tier policies. Farage urged action against diversity initiatives and demanded equal treatment under the law. Sarah Jones later told Sky News that current evidence does not support claims of unfair treatment of white people by police. She said the government would consult police, the Sikh community and knife crime campaigners to improve practices. Abimbola Johnson, chair of the independent scrutiny board for the police Race Action Plan, described former minister Chris Philp’s criticism of the plan as disingenuous, noting Philp had not raised concerns during his time in office.
