Good morning. Keir Starmer expressed the sentiments of many individuals yesterday by stating he felt “sick” after viewing footage of Henry Nowak being handcuffed while gravely injured, with a police officer dismissing Nowak’s claims of being stabbed due to an alleged racist assault. Starmer’s reaction was one of genuine concern in light of the recent tragedy, which resulted in the life imprisonment of Nowak’s assailant on Monday.

However, the murder has also incited numerous insincere reactions, leading to riots in Southampton last night. Here is a summary of the key events from yesterday.

Steven Morris has provided a detailed report on the disturbances.

This morning, Sarah Jones, the Minister for Policing, addressed the media, condemning the rioting as unacceptable. She confirmed that two individuals had been arrested—one for assaulting a police officer and the other for possessing a weapon.

Jones urged for calm, stating, “We are encouraging individuals to channel their anger constructively. I understand the frustration, but let justice take its course, as the family has requested.”

Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, also released a statement regarding the events last night.

In her interviews today, Jones mentioned that the government seeks a review of the official “police anti-racism commitment.” In the Commons, Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, criticized the document as “morally wrong,” arguing that it suggested police forces should manipulate arrest statistics among different ethnic groups, despite varying crime rates. While the document does not explicitly state this, it calls for “equality of policing outcomes” among different ethnic groups, which raises concerns. Mahmood provided a non-committal response to Philp, but now the Home Office is advocating for a reassessment of the document.

When questioned about the document, Jones informed BBC Breakfast that the National Police Chiefs’ Council is currently reviewing it. She added, “We believe the language used is inappropriate. It is essential to acknowledge the longstanding issues of racism within policing and ensure that such practices are eliminated.” She emphasized that police training includes addressing these matters but feels the document in question is flawed, making the NPCC’s review necessary.

Here is today’s agenda:

• Noon: Keir Starmer will confront Kemi Badenoch during Prime Minister’s Questions.
• After 12:30 PM: A parliamentary debate will occur regarding the Peter Mandelson files released on Monday.
• 2:30 PM: Experts from the Climate Change Committee will present evidence to the Commons environmental audit committee on extreme weather.
• 3:30 PM: Chancellor Rachel Reeves will speak at the Creating a Scientific Superpower Conference focused on the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

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In her interview on the Today program, Jones refrained from disclosing whether the police officers involved in Nowak’s arrest while he was gravely injured are still on duty. She stated that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is handling that inquiry.

When asked if she was aware of the situation, Jones confirmed she was but implied it was inappropriate for her to comment further, as it falls under the IOPC’s jurisdiction. When pressed about the implications of allowing officers who exhibited “a clear dereliction of duty” to remain on active duty, Jones reiterated that it was a matter for the IOPC to evaluate.

During her interview on the Today program, Jones was also questioned about the existence of two-tier policing in the UK. She responded by affirming the importance of equality before the law, noting that there are around 100,000 emergency calls daily, and in most instances, police conduct is appropriate. However, she acknowledged the necessity of learning from mistakes, particularly in light of current public scrutiny.

When asked for instances of two-tier policing, Jones remarked, “We do see instances where errors are made in various contexts, but generally, that is not the norm.” She emphasized that pushing a particular narrative in this case is counterproductive.

Regarding the treatment of Henry Nowak, when questioned whether she believed “anti-white racism” influenced the actions of the officer who restrained him, Jones did not provide a direct answer.