The Huffington Post
Robert Jenrick and Robert Peston. ITV’s political editor roasted Robert Jenrick over a misleading Reform UK advert attacking Kemi Badenoch’s stance on racism. The right-wing party has been criticised for taking the Tory leader’s words out of context in the wake of the murder of Henry Nowak. The teenager was stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa, who then falsely told the police that he had been the victim of racism. Eighteen-year-old Henry was then arrested and handcuffed by police as he lay dying. Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court on Monday. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed the case proves there is “two tier policing” and anti-white prejudice in the UK. In an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, Badenoch said: “I don’t want to hear about black lives matter. I don’t want to hear about white lives matter. Everyone matters. Henry Nowak matters.” An attack ad posted online by Reform selectively quoted the Tory leader’s words – sparking an angry backlash.” Kemi Badenoch, just like Starmer, doesn’t care. Only Reform UK will openly say that white lives matter too. pic.twitter.com/dAUd7FRUvR — Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) June 2, 2026 On ITV on Wednesday night, Robert Peston told Jenrick, who is Reform’s Treasury spokesman: “That is a travesty of Kemi Badenoch’s position.” After playing her words on Good Morning Britain, Peston said: “So just to be absolutely clear, there is no world in which she is endorsing Black Lives Matter.” Jenrick insisted “those are her words”, but Peston said Reform were using them “completely out of context”. Jenrick said: “Kemi Badenoch, when the Black Lives Matter issue arose, said ‘black lives do matter’. Then she went onto the media and said ‘I don’t want to hear about white lives matter’. Well I do want to hear about white lives matter.” But Peston pointed out: “She also said in that interview, as you’ve just heard, ’I don’t want to talk about black lives matter or white lives matter. She is basically saying she does not want divisive politics of the sort that you are promoting.” . @Peston : That is a travesty of Kemi Badenoch’s position! @RobertJenrick : No it isn’t. Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick is shown @KemiBadenoch ’s GMB interview and denies ‘manipulating’ a tragedy to score ‘petty political points’ #Peston pic.twitter.com/ypt80BjgA3 — Peston (@itvpeston) June 3, 2026 Farage has also come in for criticism for saying the country should respond to the Henry Nowak case with “pure, cold rage” – despite the boy’s father appealing for calm. Hours later, police were pelted with missiles as violence erupted outside Southampton police station. In the Commons on Wednesday, Keir Starmer told Farage : ”[Farage’s] response has been to appeal for rage. Rage. That’s his response to a father who has lost his son and asked for this not to happen. “To do it when the family are expressly saying please don’t is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.” Subscribe to Commons People , the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
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