Labour backbenchers have accused Sir Keir Starmer of not being quick enough to react to the murder of Henry Nowak.
While Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch both put out statements not long after the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, the Prime Minister has been accused of dithering by his own MPs.
The student’s killer, 23-year-old Digwa, told police attending the scene of the stabbing that he had been the victim of a racist attack, while Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying.
One backbench Labour MP told The Times: “There’s a sense among colleagues that the government wasn’t quite aware of how big this case was.
“We weren’t speedy enough to get on the front foot and we have once again fallen into the same trap that Farage and Co lay us which makes us look as though we have downplayed it.”
Another added: “It’s a pattern that sums up this Government. It doesn’t seem to smell danger and then when danger hits us we are too slow to react.”
However, a Government source defended its response, saying: “It’s incredibly important we respond to these events with dignity, calmness and empathy and not rush into a knee-jerk reaction.”
Last night, the Prime Minister said he was “profoundly humbled” to have a private discussion with the teenager’s family in Downing Street on Thursday afternoon, and said Mr Nowak “deserves a legacy that goes beyond this awful tragedy”.
Sir Keir said after the meeting: “I was moved to learn more about Henry, his kindness, his warmth, and his love of football, and I am grateful to his family. There is no doubt he had a bright future ahead of him, a future cruelly stolen from him in appalling circumstances.
“Henry deserves a legacy that goes beyond this awful tragedy, and I am committed to making that happen. I am determined that we do everything in our power to prevent other families from suffering such a devastating loss.
“There are difficult questions that need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry’s murder. The Independent Office for Police Conduct are investigating. We will be unflinching in taking whatever action is required to right the wrongs in this case.
“It is our duty now to ensure that lessons are learned, that justice is delivered and that we choose unity and progress over division and hatred. This is the only way to honour Henry’s memory.”
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Keir Starmer ‘will not walk away’ from Andy Burnham leadership challenge
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “will not walk away” after Andy Burnham said he will challenge him for the Labour leadership if he wins the Makerfield by-election.
Downing Street said the process for challenging the Labour leader “has not been triggered”, and that the country expects ministers to “focus on governing”.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, widely viewed as Sir Keir’s main rival, has previously promised a vote for him in Makerfield would be a vote to “change Labour” but had not explicitly said he would launch a bid until pressed on the BBC’s Question Time by-election special.
Appearing on the programme, Mr Burnham said a “fundamental change” is needed in Westminster to restore the public’s trust in politicians.
Hitting back at Mr Burnham, a Downing Street spokesman said: “With Keir Starmer’s leadership, this Labour Government is supporting people with the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists, restoring control of our borders and lifting half a million children out of poverty.
“The country expects us to focus on governing and to deliver change for hard-working people, not get distracted by Westminster debates.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and it has not been triggered. The Prime Minister will not walk away from the mandate he was given just two years ago to build a stronger, fairer Britain.”
Rejoining European Union will NOT be issue at next election, Keir Starmer’s Brexit chief pledges
The next general election will not be fought over whether Britain should rejoin the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer’s chief Brexit negotiator has pledged.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, said he was firmly fixed on developing what he called a “post-Brexit landscape” with the EU.
This did not involve breaching any of Labour’s three red lines on Brexit in the party’s 2024 election manifesto: no return to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement.
Brexit has been thrust back into the spotlight after Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham suggested they wanted to take the UK back into the bloc if either replaces Sir Keir as Prime Minister.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF CHOPPER’S POLITICAL PODCAST HERE.
Home Office told control of asylum system ‘all but lost’ after ‘losing’ illegal migrants in Britain
Shabana Mahmood’s department has been slated in the latest PAC report | GETTY
The Home Office has admitted it is “unable to prove it can manage asylum accommodation effectively”, as a damning new report found control was “all but lost”.
Parliament’s spending watchdog has delivered a scathing “end-to-end snapshot” of Shabana Mahmood’s asylum system, warning mistakes made by civil servants are doomed to be repeated.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “At the time of our inquiry, control of it had been all but lost. The focus on short-term, reactive ‘fixes’ has left the Government chasing after pressures pushed from one part of the system to the next.”
He slammed the lack of a “clear strategy uniting efforts”, adding communication between departments and local authorities is “patchy at best”.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.