Downing Street has pushed back against Kemi Badenoch's suggestion identity politics tensions could lead to civil war, insisting Britain remained a "reasonable and tolerant" country.
The Conservative leader, speaking before the violent scenes in Southampton on Tuesday, told the BBC politicians were stoking community tensions to win votes.
Unrest sparked in the southern port city earlier this week after Vickrum Digwa was sentenced for the murder of Henry Nowak, who died in police custody after being stabbed by the 23-year-old with a Sikh ceremonial knife.
She said: "Parties which do that, they may benefit in the short term but in the long term that's how you end up with civil war."
A Downing Street spokeswoman hit back, saying: "That's not the Britain that we recognise. We are reasonable, tolerant people.
“When we have a terrible case like Henry's, we react calmly, as his family have done."
She added that the "disgraceful scenes" in Southampton on Tuesday night did not represent the majority of people who wanted to see "unity and progress" and a "violent minority with a mob mentality will not change that”.
Sir Keir Starmer has urged politicians to heed the Nowak family's calls not to use the case to "cause disturbances", branding Nigel Farage's response "unforgiveable" after the Reform leader called for the public to feel "pure, cold rage”.
Mrs Badenoch insisted this was "not a racist country" but warned that political conflict was being imported into communities where it had not previously existed, creating dangerous levels of tension.
She stressed that Nowak's family "do not want anger to tear communities apart" and called on politicians to focus on policies that made a genuine difference rather than exploiting division for electoral gain.
Both Sir Keir and Mrs Badenoch met the Nowak family yesterday.
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Russia sanctions against journalist and 17-year-old schoolboy is 'appalling', says Yvette Cooper
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned Russia's decision to sanction British journalists and a 17-year-old schoolboy as "desperate" and "appalling", pledging to step up the Government's own measures against Moscow in response.
Among those banned from entering Russia are Alexander Browder, a teenager who has conducted research into alleged Moscow-backed cryptocurrency laundering and Richard Holmes a journalist at The i Paper.
Cooper described the move as "an assault on media freedom" and said it reflected a pattern of increasingly reckless behaviour from the Kremlin.
She said: "I think we've seen increasing reckless and desperate escalation from Russia because Ukraine is doing better on the battlefield and keeping them under pressure.
To sanction journalists - this is an assault on media freedom and just tells you everything you need to know about the oppression of the Russian regime. I just think it is desperate and wrong to sanction a 17-year-old. I just think it is appalling."
JD Vance: 'Henry Nowak died the same way civilisation dies'
US Vice President JD Vance has addressed Henry Nowak's murder saying the slain 18-year-old would still be alive "if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and mass invasion of migrants".
He took to X this evening to condemn the student's death, writing: "Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit. His murder is as tragic as it is enraging.
"He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.
"Henry was far from the first to so needlessly lose his life, and I fear he won’t be the last. Each time a life like his is lost, the proper response—the only response—is righteous anger.
"One of the most important things the Trump administration has proven to the world is that stopping the flow of mass migration and defending national sovereignty is a matter of political will and leadership. Anything else is an excuse. It is because we love the West that we want to preserve it.
"We love our civilization. We love our country. We love our children. And nobody—nobody—should ever die the way that Henry Nowak died. May God comfort those who loved him, and may God rest his soul."
Kemi Badenoch: Aberdeen asking me to 'save... dying city'
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has said people in Aberdeen have asked her to "save" the "dying" city.
Ahead of the June 18 Westminster by-election for Aberdeen South, the Tory leader has been door-knocking among voters in the Scottish city.
Mrs Badenoch said: “We have the best candidate, we have the best plan for Aberdeen, that is to get Britain drilling again.
“We need to support our oil and gas sector, there’s only one party that is speaking up for oil and gas, and that is the Conservative Party.”
She added: “On all the doorsteps, a lot of people are telling us that this is the right thing, people have asked me to save the city, they feel that Aberdeen is dying.”
AI regulation 'wholly inadequate', says Archbishop of Canterbury to House of Lords
Current artificial intelligence (AI) regulation is "wholly inadequate" in preventing harms, the Archbishop of Canterbury has told Parliament.
Dame Sarah Mullally referenced chatbots being able to roleplay rape and child sex abuse, which she warned risks normalising it.
Speaking at the start of an AI debate in the House of Lords today, the topic of which was chosen by the Archbishop herself, Dame Sarah called for a “pro-human framework” for AI.
She said: "A recent report from Durham University presented evidence that chatbots are now facilitating violence against women and girls: allowing roleplays of incest, child sexual abuse and rape with few safeguards, risking the normalisation and the legitimisation of such abuse.
"These harms are not simply the result of user misuse – AI platforms design choices, policies and governance failures are encouraging and enabling them, and existing regulation is wholly inadequate to prevent them."
Sikh MPs condemn Henry Nowak's murder as 'horrific and senseless crime'
A letter signed by Sikh MPs has condemned the murder of Henry Nowak as "horrific and senseless."
Mr Nowak was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, with a ceremonial Pesh Kabz, a 21cm Indo-Persian dagger used in battles to pierce through armour.
Signatories include Labour MP for Ilford South Jas Athwal, health minister Preet Kaur Gill and Tan Dhesi, the chair of the Defence Select Committee.
The letter read: "Henry Nowak's murder was a horrific and senseless crime. Our thoughts remain with his family and loved ones. As Sikh MPs, we believe it is important to be clear about the facts.
"This case was not about Sikhism, and the weapon used was not a kirpan. As the court found, it was an offensive weapon.
"No religious protection or justification applied, and the offender was rightly convicted and sentenced."
The statement also addresses the issue of knife crime more widely, recognising how his "continues to devastate families and communities across our country".
It concludes: "This was not about Sikhim. It was about a man carrying an offensive weapon and committing a brutal murder."
Lord Hermer says Reform and Tories would let small boat migrants 'drown in the water'
Lord Hermer has suggested Reform UK and the Conservatives would happily let small boat migrants "drown in the water".
The Attorney General told the BBC: "They say they’d round people up on the beaches and send them somewhere else.
"I think what they mean by that is they let people drown in the water. And that is not a British way to deal with it. That is not commensurate with our values.
"The way to deal with it is the way that we’ve been dealing with it and we’re going to carry rolling out further agreements, which is co-operation with the states through which people are travelling, through which people are launching boats.
"We do that through our membership of the Council of Europe.
Reform council leader claims Restore Britain would deport people 'just because of their colour'
George Finch became the youngest council leader in the country last year
| GETTYA Reform UK council leader has claimed Restore Britain would deport people "just because of their colour" as he took aim at Rupert Lowe's party.
George Finch, Leader of Warwickshire County Council and Bedworth & Nuneaton Borough Council, said Restore was "just a party on social media", adding: "What are their policies? What are their people?"
Mr Finch told PoliticsHome: "In Bedworth, we've got a huge Sikh and Gurkha population that fought with us, and we take pride in celebrating them on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.
"The whole town comes out, and it's great when people say, 'I'm gonna vote Restore.' The Sikhs and Gurkhas that fought during the war? 'Oh, yes, we love those people. They're great.'
"Under a Restore government, they'd be gone. No excuse, no reason. Gone, just because of their colour."
A Restore Britain spokesman said: "Finch is talking total bulls***."
Downing Street takes swipe at Kemi Badenoch's claim identity politics could lead to civil war
Downing Street has insisted Britain is a "reasonable and tolerant" country, hitting back at Kemi Badenoch’s suggestion that conflict over identity politics could lead to civil war.
The Conservative leader said politicians should not be using tensions as a way to win over voters.
Speaking before the violent scenes in Southampton over the case of murdered teenager Henry Nowak, she told the BBC: "This is not a racist country.
"But now we are seeing more and more hostility to people of every ethnicity, whether they’re English or not English, because people are bringing political conflict into an area where we didn’t have political conflict.
“It’s the political conflict, I think, that is creating this tension.This is why it’s really important that politicians understand this properly and have policies that make a difference, rather than use the political conflict as a way to get some votes from one particular community."
Hitting back at Mrs Badenoch, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "That’s not the Britain that we recognise. We are reasonable, tolerant people. When we have a terrible case like Henry’s, we react calmly, as his family have done.
"The disgraceful scenes that we saw in Southampton on Tuesday night do not represent the majority of people who want to see unity and progress, and a violent minority with a mob mentality will not change that."
Andy Burnham vows to slash pub business rates in opening leadership pitch
Andy Burnham has pledged to cut business rates for pubs by 20 per cent if he becomes Prime Minister, setting out his first major policy proposal amid growing speculation over Labour's leadership.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, who is standing in the Makerfield by-election, also proposed abolishing business rates entirely for cafés, hairdressing salons and retail shops.
In a criticism of Labour's approach to high street taxation, Mr Burnham said: "I am willing to be honest about where we have fallen short and say that my party has got this wrong in Government."
The Makerfield candidate added that Labour had "undervalued the contribution these businesses make to our livelihoods and our communities".
Keir Starmer slammed by his own MPs for reaction to Henry Nowak's murder
Labour backbenchers have turned on Sir Keir Starmer, accusing the Prime Minister of failing to respond swiftly enough to the killing of Henry Nowak.
Critics within his own party say the government was caught out while Reform UK's Nigel Farage and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch issued statements shortly after Vickrum Digwa was sentenced for the 18-year-old student's murder.
One 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."
Keir Starmer says UK needs to be 'ahead of the curve' in defence
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK needs to make sure it is "ahead of the curve" with its defence capabilities.
He said during a visit to a defence contractor in Wiltshire: "Look at how quickly the technology here is changing.
"It is obvious to all of you, and it’s obvious to me, that we need to make sure we’re ahead of the game, ahead of the curve here, and that we’re getting the capability that we need now, in five years, in 10 years."
Last year’s strategic review aimed to answer those questions, he said.
"You won’t be surprised to know that a lot of focus was on technology, on how we equip, you know, our armed forces with the best, and how we make more of autonomous capability, some of the stuff that you are working on.
"Now in order to put that strategic review into effect, we’ve got a defence investment plan, so that is the plan that says here’s the money that goes with the capability.
"We bring the two together, and it is another step up. It is another increase in spending, but it is necessary. It’s the right thing to do to defend our country."
Andy Burnham eyes tax hikes on the South after refusing to back Labour pledges
Andy Burnham is hoping to get the keys to No10 | GETTYAndy Burnham has declined to endorse Labour's 2024 manifesto commitments on taxation while campaigning in the Makerfield by-election.
The Manchester mayor, who is widely viewed as a potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer, avoided questions about whether he supported the party's pledges not to increase income tax, corporation tax or national insurance.
A spokesman for Mr Burnham told Bloomberg: "Andy is fully focused on working hard for every vote in Makerfield so he can represent them in Parliament.
"Andy is not standing on a national manifesto at this election; he is standing to make a difference for the people of Makerfield and to bring the change he has delivered in Greater Manchester to the national stage."
Keir Starmer confirms Defence Investment Plan will be published before Nato summit
Keir Starmer has confirmed the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan will be published before the upcoming Nato summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
The Prime Minister said: "The Defence Investment Plan is another step up, another increase in spending. It is the right thing to do
"We've been working on that closely with our armed forces. That will now be published just before the Nato summit in just a few weeks time."
Sir Keir Starmer addressing defence contractor in Wiltshire
Sir Keir Starmer is speaking at a defence contractor in Wiltshire, as he addressed comments by the Chief of the Defence Staff who said it is currently "most dangerous period" in decades for the UK.
The Prime Minister said: "My first duty, my duty above everything else is to keep our country safe. That is the duty of every Prime Minister.
"It is no exaggeration to say we are living in more dangerous and volatile times than any other in my lifetime."
David Lammy rejects 'two tier' policing accusations
David Lammy rejected claims of 'two tier policing' in the UK
| POOL CLIPDavid Lammy has rejected an intervention from the Trump administration over Henry Nowak’s murder that criticised "two-tiered policing" in the UK.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary said he did not recognise the "caricature" of the policing system portrayed.
It comes after the US State Department posted on X late on Thursday: "Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline. They must be rejected across the West.
"The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time."
Mr Lammy thanked the US for its message of condolence and said UK law enforcement works very closely with American counterparts, but rejected the intervention on policing.
The Justice Secretary told the BBC: "I don’t recognise this caricature of a two-tier policing system in our country. I just don’t see it in the interactions I have with policing, and so I do reject that."
Britain is currently at the most 'dangerous period in decades', warns Chief of Defence staff
The Chief of the Defence Staff has said now is the "most dangerous period" in decades for the UK and the country needs to prepare for potential "longer conflicts".
The Defence Secretary said on Monday that a long-awaited defence investment plan could be published before the Nato summit in early July.
John Healey told MPs that the Prime Minister was hoping to launch the delayed policy details before the Nato event in Ankara, Turkey, which begins on July 7.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said Russia was "probing, challenging, testing our defences" including through "cyber attacks or trying to smuggle technology and reckless sabotage and assassination attempts".
Liberal Democrats demand Keir Starmer summon US Ambassador over Henry Nowak comments
The Lib Dems have urged Sir Keir Starmer to summon the US ambassador over the State Department’s intervention on Henry Nowak’s murder.
Calum Miller, the party’s Foreign Affairs spokesman, said: "The three main parliamentary party leaders were right to call for calm, respect and unity yesterday.
"The Trump administration should not be using the tragic murder of Henry Nowak as a political football.
"This is flagrant foreign interference that seeks to fan the flames of division and the Prime Minister should summon the US ambassador immediately."
Reform UK mayor storms out of meeting with Labour minister over Henry Nowak 'hypocrisy'
Andrea Jenkyns stormed from the meeting
| GETTYReform UK's Andrea Jenkyns stormed out of a meeting with a senior Labour minister following a row over "hypocrisy" surrounding the murder of Henry Nowak.
The Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire walked out of a meeting with Communities Secretary Steve Reed and other regional figures over the role social media has played in inflaming so-called "community tensions" in the wake of Mr Nowak's death.
The meeting on Thursday is believed to have been called to focus on which powers could be devolved to regional leaders from Westminster.
Scottish Tory MP calls for 'complete equality in policing'
A Scottish Conservative MP has said the party wants to see "complete equality in policing" following the murder of Henry Nowak.
Harriet Cross, the Tory MP for Gordon and Buchan, told GB News: "Kemi Badenoch has been really clear and unambiguous about this.
"We want to see complete equality across policing. We don't want people policed in different groups.
"We want people policed as individuals for the crime that they have committed or for the crime that is being committed upon them, making sure that the victims are treated completely fairly and believed, most importantly, believe because that was what was missing in this case."
David Lammy says Keir Starmer would fight Andy Burnham in Labour leadership contest
David Lammy has said that if there is a Labour leadership contest, Sir Keir Starmer would fight in it, after Andy Burnham said he would join one if elected Makerfield MP.
The Deputy Prime Minister told LBC: "There is no contest at the moment, and my view is it would be a huge distraction at this time. The Prime Minister, by the way, has been absolutely clear: if there is a contest, he’ll be in it."
Asked if he would serve in a potential Andy Burnham premiership, he said: "I’m not, I’m not even going to get into that kind of speculation.
“What I do know is that if there were to be a change of leader, of course, you serve at the will of the person who is leading the party. That’s always the case, certainly if you’re in their Cabinet.
"I’ve supported every leader of the Labour Party. They’ve had my full loyalty. Keir Starmer has got my loyalty, full loyalty, until the day he no longer wishes to serve."
Kemi Badenoch slams 'utter madness' of SNP and Labour on North Sea drilling
KemI Badenoch took aim at John Swinney and Keir Starmer
| GETTYResearch on oil and gas in the North Sea "demonstrates the utter madness" of the SNP and Labour’s opposition to drilling, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The Conservative leader’s comments came as a study by the University of Aberdeen revealed there are reserves of oil and gas in the area west of Shetland of 4.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
Ms Badenoch said the survey demonstrates the "utter madness" of the stance taken by Sir Keir Starmer and John Swinney to oppose drilling in the North Sea.
She said: "It defies belief that Labour and the SNP won’t drill our own oil and gas in the North Sea when independent reports have found there are billions of barrels lying untapped.
"The University of Aberdeen survey just demonstrates the utter madness of the stance taken by Keir Starmer and John Swinney.
"Domestic oil and gas are vital to the nation’s energy security, as well as being the economic lifeblood of the North East. Yet the industry is on its knees due to the windfall tax and the ban on new developments. The Conservatives would scrap both immediately."
David Lammy says Elon Musk needs to 'step back' from posting about Henry Nowak
David Lammy has said Elon Musk should “step back” from tweeting about the case of Henry Nowak and “get on with” his IPO.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer accused the billionaire X owner of seeking to whip up division.
The Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News: "I think there’s an IPO this week in the States on Starlink. Elon Musk should get on with that. I mean, tweeting over 100 times about this tragic, horrific case.
"Anyone who’s seen the video, it’s so harrowing and appalling. I’ve got two teenage sons. My heart goes out to the Nowak family. Let us not exploit their situation. They have asked for calm, they have asked of course for us to look closely at the issues around knife crime.
"Let us respect them. Elon Musk really, I think, he should stay out of this complex but painful situation for that family."
He later added: "I urge Elon Musk to stay out of tweeting about this sensitive case."
But he said he was not minded to stop using X as a platform.
"I don’t spend time on X surfing Elon Musk tweets, so I haven’t read them, but I’m not sure any of them reached the standard that require that. But I think it is appropriate for politicians to urge Elon Musk to step back."
Keir Starmer 'will not walk away' from Andy Burnham leadership challenge
Sir Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham are seen as the main two rivals
| PAPrime 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.
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 | GETTYThe 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".