As a race controversy widens over the fatal stabbing of a white young man in Britain, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly criticized Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk, telling him not to interfere in British politics.
According to the BBC and Reuters, on the 4th (local time) while visiting York, England, Starmer told reporters, "Musk has once again tried in recent days to interfere in British politics and to stoke division," adding, "That is not the kind of Britain we seek."
Starmer said, "The British are a rational and tolerant people," and stressed, "Even when facing a tragic event like the Henry Nowak case, we must respond calmly, as the bereaved family has."
The controversy stems from the Henry Nowak case in December last year. At the time, Nowak, an 18-year-old white student, was fatally stabbed in Southampton by Vikrum Digwa (23), a Sikh. Immediately after the crime, Digwa told police that he had been the target of a racist attack, and officers who arrived at the scene handcuffed the gravely wounded Nowak. Nowak died after being taken to a hospital, and the police's initial response came under fire. On the 1st, Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.
After the sentencing, Nowak's family criticized the police response as "inhumane and humiliating," while issuing a statement saying, "We do not want our son's death to be used to fuel social division and hate."
However, the case has turned into a new debate over race in Britain. Some have criticized the police for being overly sensitive to racial issues and failing to properly protect a white victim. On the right, figures are calling it a case of "reverse discrimination," strongly attacking the government and police.
In particular, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, urged the public to "be angry," and a protest held on the 2nd in Southampton, where the incident occurred, escalated into violence, leaving 11 police officers injured and two protesters arrested.
Musk has been criticizing Britain's response daily on his social media, X (formerly Twitter). On the 2nd, he said, "Widely publicize the video showing how police treated Nowak as he lay dying and how lenient they were toward the attacker." He also said, "The mainstream media reported the George Floyd case millions of times but is silent on the Nowak case." The remark referred to the "Black Lives Matter (BLM)" movement that erupted in the United States after Floyd died in 2020 from excessive police force.
This is not the first clash between Starmer and Musk. Last year, Musk criticized the government's response to the child sexual exploitation case involving a South Asian crime ring in the U.K., and Starmer directly rebutted him.