British deputy prime minister tells JD Vance he was wrong to blame immigration for teen's murder

LONDON (AP) — Britain's deputy prime minister said Sunday that he told U.S. 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 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.

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.K. 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.

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.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates allegations of police wrongdoing, is probing the actions of police officers on the scene.

The victim’s father, Mark Nowak, has said the case was not about racism or religion, and that he wanted his son’s death to lead to safer streets and not to be used to create “further division, hatred or tension.”

Lammy also said he told Vance “it’s not helpful to tweet in this way, partly because of what the Nowak family have asked for, and reminded him about their desire not to make this an issue of division and hatred, but to make this an issue of common sense.”

FILE - 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. 8, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool via AP, File)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as he visits STARK, a leading defence tech company in Swindon, England, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)

People gather to protest outside Southampton police station, Southampton, England, Tuesday June 2, 2026, after the fatal stabbing of Henry Nowak, a British teenager who was handcuffed despite claiming he was the crime victim. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)

In this image taken from PA Video, police and protestors clash during a protest following the death of Henry Nowak, a 18-year-old student stabbed to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial by Vickrum Digwa, in Southampton, England, Tuesday June 2, 2026. (Jamie Lashmar/PA via AP)

Vice President JD Vance speaks with reporters upon arriving on Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Kimi Antonelli beat a display of Red Bull formation flying to take pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix in qualifying on Saturday and boost his Formula 1 title charge.

Max Verstappen had set the fastest time after smart coordination with Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar to give him the strongest possible slipstream on his lap.

Mercedes driver Antonelli found a new level of pace on his lap to beat Verstappen by 0.317 of a second and dedicated the pole position as a birthday present to his father Marco, who turned 61 on Saturday.

“Let's go, man, let's go,” he said over the radio.

With Verstappen starting second and teammate and title rival George Russell third on the grid, Antonelli is hoping he can cling on to the lead in the long run-up into the forested hills on the first lap Sunday and that if there's overtaking, “hopefully it's just off in the distance.” Beyond that, he said, he'll just focus on managing his tire wear.

Verstappen said Hadjar's help was the difference between being second and sixth but that his Red Bull still can't keep up with Antonelli's Mercedes in race conditions.

“He did amazing. I initially thought ‘Oh my god, it’s too close.’ Actually it worked out well to the last corner. It was close but I trusted him," Verstappen said of Hadjar, who had nothing to gain because of a penalty which sends him to the back of the grid.

“The gap in qualifying even with a massive tow is still three-tenths, so I don’t really expect to race (Mercedes) tomorrow,” Verstappen added.

Lando Norris qualified third-fastest for McLaren but a grid penalty means he drops 10 places. Antonelli’s teammate George Russell is set to move up to third on the grid, but once again he struggled to match the 19-year-old Italian.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth on a disappointing day for Ferrari following Leclerc's surprise win at the British Grand Prix. Even getting on track was a small victory for Hamilton after a crash in practice meant Ferrari had to rebuild his car in a hurry.

Russell closed the gap to Antonelli to 25 points in the standings at the British Grand Prix after the latest in a series of car problems for the Italian, but has consistently been off his teammate's pace, except for a win at the Austrian Grand Prix last month.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates after qualifying for pole position ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during qualification ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Sarah Meyssonnier, Pool Photo via AP)

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy gets into his car as he prepares for the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Sarah Meyssonnier, Pool Photo via AP)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, center, poses for a photo as he walks in the paddock ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)