Henry Nowak murder bodycam footage ‘absolutely harrowing’, says minister – live updates

Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the behavior of police officers at the scene of Henry Nowak’s stabbing was “shocking”.

He told the BBC’s Today program on Tuesday morning: “The footage, the body camera footage, is every parent’s nightmare.

“It’s sad and absolutely shocking and when you look at the scene the police behavior is shocking.

“I’m sure your thoughts, my thoughts, the thoughts of all your listeners this morning are with Henry’s family and Henry’s friends, not only about being the victim of a heinous crime, but also about the lies of the perpetrator, the lies at the scene, the unfounded accusations of racism,” he added.

“But also remember that this perpetrator lied and lied and lied and put Henry’s family through a full-blown adversarial lawsuit.”

Asked to comment on Nigel Farage’s statement on

“No one objects to this.

“It should be the role of the Independent Office for Police Conduct to ask all the questions necessary to get to the truth about what is happening here, without fear or favor.”

Nigel Farage has said he has asked the Attorney-General to review the minimum 21-year prison sentence given to murderer Vickrum Digwa for being overly lenient.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, the Reform UK leader said: “This is wrong. All the values ​​and standards of living in a free country, where everyone is judged equally before the law, have been trashed and cast aside.”

Nigel Farage has just made a speech in which he criticized the police response to the murder of Henry Nowak.

Nowak, 18, was handcuffed by police on his deathbed after the man who stabbed him told police he had racially abused him.

Mr Farage accused police of taking the charge of racial slurs more seriously than the act of murder.

Referring to the body camera footage, Mr Farage said: “What does he say? I can’t breathe. Familiar words.”

The same words were spoken by George Floyd, whose death sparked the Black Lives Matter movement after he was killed by police in the United States.

“Remember the reaction to this and the behavior of the police within a few days. Keir Starmer was taking the knee. The Black Lives Matter protest exploded all over the country,” Mr Farage said.

Accusing politicians of being “silent” over Mr Nowak’s death, Mr Farage added: “It is evidence (if ever) that we live in a two-tiered culture in this country, where the rights and privileges of white people are less important than those of ethnic minorities.”

A government minister said “disgraceful” messages between Peter Mandelson and Pat McFadden were proof the government was “open and transparent”.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has sought to defend the work and pensions minister after a series of messages he shared with his former Labor counterpart revealed harsh criticism of the prime minister and Labor MPs.

Mr Thomas-Symonds insisted Mr McFadden had “always been very consistent” on welfare and added that the messages were “an indication of the government’s determination to follow this humble appeal”.

“Frankly you have disgraceful messages, not just here but in general,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“These are things that people say, perhaps out of frustration, but never expected to be made public, even if privately.

“But the reason these are public is because the government is open and transparent.”

A government minister said his phone was stolen last year, meaning some WhatsApps between him and Peter Mandelson were lost.

Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said his personal phone was stolen while walking home after a dinner in Marsham Street on October 15, 2025.

He said three men on a moped stole his phone and reported this to the Metropolitan Police.

He told Sky News he told his low-key address team that the messages would include him and Mandelson congratulating each other on respective appointments and his former Labor colleague campaigning to become Chancellor of Oxford University.

The second tranche of the Mandelson files was released Monday afternoon.

Our journalists scanned hundreds of pages of documents, emails and WhatsApp messages. Here’s what we know:

Documents show Lord Peter Mandelson was told during the vetting process that he would only be required to provide information about existing friendships with foreign nationals.​

He also told David Lammy a month before his appointment that the government would “never regret” making him ambassador.

The former Labor Party staffer “refused to comply” with a request to hand over WhatsApp messages and other information from his personal phone to the government.​

But the messages he shared with ministers reveal many criticisms of the government and its leader Keir Starmer. ​

Some of these include Mandelson’s warning that Starmer’s Downing Street operation was “beleaguered and deprived”, and speculation in separate messages that the prime minister would not survive a benefits revolt.​

The then US ambassador also said Pat McFadden was “no source of strength”, admitted he was “very concerned” about the Chagos agreement and accused Wes Streeting of having an “early mid-life crisis”.​

Mandelson also told ministers to engage in more “Trumpian risk-taking and demonic bravado” after Labor lost Reform in the Runcorn by-election.

Cabinet ministers also became the center of attention, with McFadden’s message to Mandelson stating that Labor MPs were only asking “who can we tax to benefit others?”

Discussed a story written by Mandelson IndependentPolitical Editor David Maddox with then-communications chief Matthew Doyle.

The two discussed Maddox’s reporting on WhatsApp after Maddox published a story saying Donald Trump had threatened to reject Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador unless the British government imposed severe restrictions on his activities.

Pat McFadden should not be sacked over his comments about Keir Starmer, Dame Emily Thornberry has said.

A senior Labor MP said the work and pensions minister was “having sex in private”.

He told Sky News: “Whether it’s good or not, that’s the kind of thing people do. They complain about their bosses, they complain about decisions being made, they complain when they don’t feel they’re being listened to.”

Labor MP John McDonnell told Times Radio that Mr McFadden should consider resigning from the cabinet because he had been “disloyal” to the prime minister.

A number of damaging messages were published between Mr McFadden and Lord Mandelson, some disparaging the prime minister.

The Prime Minister faced fresh humiliation after the final chapter of the Mandelson files was published on Monday, revealing both infighting between ministers and deep criticism of Sir Keir Starmer’s administration.

The release of more than 1,000 pages of messages about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s ambassador to the US reveals his damning view of the government; his disgraced colleague says the prime minister is “lacking enthusiasm” and warns the Downing Street operation is “beleaguered and deprived”.

The revelation reveals the extent to which the government is dominated by WhatsApp and includes thousands of previously shared private messages between those at the heart of the government; It reveals Lord Mandelson repeatedly offered unsolicited advice to ministers, mocked colleagues and criticized the government’s actions.

But documents showed Lord Mandelson “refused to comply” with a request to hand over his personal phone and allow the government to publish WhatsApp messages and other information about his appointment.

Meanwhile, in a statement to the House of Commons, the prime minister’s principal secretary, Darren Jones, confirmed that questions asked to Lord Mandelson during the review process had been preserved at the request of the Metropolitan Police, along with numerous redactions.