Speaking on the BBC Sunday politics programme, David Lammy noted that ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, so context can matter but must not override violence. The justice secretary stated that all are equal before the law, yet acknowledged disparities in arrests, prosecutions, convictions and prisons. He rejected claims of two-tier policing. Nigel Farage cited the case as evidence of unequal treatment, though data shows Hampshire officers stop and search black people over five times more often than white people. The attorney general is reviewing the life sentence with a 21-year minimum given to Vickrum Digwa for murdering Henry Nowak. Lammy confirmed the review is under consideration. He added that privileges such as carrying blades for religious reasons can be withdrawn if public confidence is lost. Lammy described bodycam footage of the arrest as deeply traumatic and recalled similar past cases. JD Vance had linked the murder to migration and called for anger, drawing a rebuke from Downing Street. Lammy said he told Vance that democratic processes including police inquiries and sentencing reviews are active.
