Starmer rejects Farage’s two-tier policing claim at Pmqs

Keir Starmer rejected Nigel Farage’s claim of "two-tier policing" at pmqs and accused him of exploiting the murder of student Henry Nowak. The prime minister told the House of Commons that Nowak’s family had asked people not to respond "in the way the leader of Reform has responded".

Starmer also said the murder had raised serious questions about how accusations of racism had informed police thinking. He called for "serious work, not rage," after a session in which MPs pressed him on the police response to the case and on unrest linked to protests in Southampton.

Farage and Starmer

Farage asked Starmer to take action against "two-tier policing" and warned that the "anger" seen in Southampton on Tuesday night could deepen if trust in the police falls. Starmer denied that such policing exists and said Farage was seeking to exploit the tragedy.

The exchange put the language around policing and race at the center of the session. Police chiefs are reviewing the Police Anti-Racism Commitment document, which aims to ensure "equality of policing outcomes" and says not everyone should be treated "the same".

Southampton unrest

Eleven police officers were injured during protests in Southampton last night. Darren Paffey described the scene as "the violence we saw whipped up on the streets of Southampton last night" and said it was "the total opposite of what Henry's family clearly and powerfully called for".

Starmer responded that the attacks on officers were "disgraceful and completely unacceptable" and said there was no justification for further disorder. The family had said they wanted Henry’s story "to help make our streets safer for everyone" and did not want the murder to "create further division and tension".

Badenoch and welfare

Kemi Badenoch used the same session to tell Starmer that Nowak’s death "must be a wake-up call to the entire country and our institutions that every life matters". She also pressed him on welfare, saying the cost had risen by £20bn since Labour came to office and asking why there was no bill on welfare reform in the King’s Speech.

Starmer said Labour had inherited a "broken system" and said the government was trying to make changes so universal credit was no longer pushing people away from work. Rosie Duffield also raised hospitality tax policy, prompting Starmer to say the government was "permanently lowering" business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

He said every pub would get "15% off business rates" and see bills frozen "in real terms for a further two years". He also said VAT was being cut on children's meals in restaurants as part of savings set out by the chancellor two weeks ago.