U.K. deputy prime minister: JD Vance was wrong to blame teen's murder on immigration

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: deputy prime minister: JD Vance was wrong to blame teen's murder on immigration June 7, 202611:39 AM ET By The Associated Press Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, right, and US Vice President JD Vance fish in a lake in the grounds of Chevening House in Kent, England, Aug. Suzanne Plunkett/ Pool via AP hide caption toggle caption Suzanne Plunkett/ Pool via AP LONDON — Britain's deputy prime minister said Sunday that he told U. Vice President JD Vance he was wrong to blame immigration for the death of a university student who was handcuffed as he lay dying from a stab wound.

David Lammy, who is also the justice minister, said he challenged Vance in what he described as a "robust" phone call on Saturday. Lammy and Vance have struck up a friendship, based on their religious beliefs and family backgrounds, even though they come from different sides of the political spectrum. "We had an agreeable conversation because we have got a relationship, but I wanted to make him clear that I disagree with some of the facts that he was asserting and to present the facts to him," Lammy told Sky News.

The Details

Sponsor Message The call came a day after Vance said in a post on social platform X that there should be "righteous anger" in response to the murder of Henry Nowak, 18, who died in December after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in the English city of Southampton. Europe In Britain, video of a dying teen handcuffed by police sparks outrage and riots Digwa, who is Sikh, falsely claimed to police he was the victim of a racist assault by Nowak, who was white. When police officers arrived, they initially treated the wounded man as a suspect before noticing his injury and trying to resuscitate him.

Vance appeared to blame the murder in part on "the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it. " Lammy said he wanted to "emphasize a number of things" to Vance, including that the killer was British and is now behind bars. "This has got nothing to do with mass migration," Lammy said.

Digwa, 23, was convicted of murder for stabbing Nowak with an 8-inch (21 centimeter) Sikh dagger and sentenced this week to life in prison with a minimum 21-year term. The case has been seized on by anti-immigration activists and politicians in the U. On Tuesday, police in Southampton were pelted with chairs, cans, rocks and flares after a demonstration over Nowak's death attended by far-right figures and others.

Sponsor Message In a statement issued Friday in response to Vance's comments, Prime Minister Keir Starmer 's office criticized people "trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets. " Politics JD Vance is a loyal deputy as vice president in Trump's shadow The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates allegations of police wrongdoing, is probing the actions of police officers on the scene.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.