A recent survey indicates that over a third of people in the UK perceive that police are more lenient towards ethnic minorities compared to white individuals.
Conducted by More in Common, the poll of 2,087 individuals revealed that 34% of respondents feel ethnic minorities receive preferential treatment from law enforcement—a sentiment that has doubled over the past two years.
Conversely, 21% of those surveyed believe that white individuals enjoy more favorable treatment.
These statistics have emerged amidst widespread controversy surrounding perceived unequal policing practices, intensified by a video capturing Henry Nowak’s tragic final moments.
The footage shows 18-year-old Nowak, after being fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa last December, pleading with officers that he was struggling to breathe, to which an officer replied dismissively, “I don’t think you have, mate.”
In reaction to the video, thousands took to the streets of Southampton last week, where protests escalated into confrontations with riot police.
But it was found that 68 per cent of Britons did not think that the protesters spoke for them. That’s in contrast to the 57 per cent of Reform UK voters who supported the demonstration.
Nine in 10 respondents said that violence towards police, such as throwing bricks at officers, was unjustified.
More than one in three Britons believe ethnic minorities are treated more favourably than white people by police, a new survey suggests (protestors are pictured clashing with riot officers in Southampton)
But half of those surveyed also thought that Reform leader Nigel Farage used the murder of Henry Nowak for his own political gain
And the poll also found scepticism about how political leaders responded to the case.
Sir Keir Starmer said the footage of Sikh knifeman Digwa, 23, standing over Mr Nowak made him ‘feel sick’ before warning that officers have ‘serious questions’ to answer over their treatment of the victim.
He added that it is ‘absolutely right’ that a police watchdog investigate how the case was handled.
Meanwhile Reform leader Nigel Farage said the public should feel ‘pure, cold rage’ over the incident. He claimed that Mr Nowak was ‘treated in a way that meant an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder’.
But half of those surveyed thought that Farage was using the case for his own political gain, and 36 per cent said he responded badly.
Respondents were most positive about Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, with 30 per cent approving of her response and 14 per cent arguing she responded badly.
Mrs Badenoch said there should be ‘no two-tier policing’ and that ‘we need to bring common sense back’ to how equality is treated under the law.
People were split over Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response.
Of the findings, UK director of More in Common, Luke Tryl said: ‘While still a minority, a third of Britons now believe the police treat people from ethnic minority backgrounds more favourably,’ he said.
‘Yet, while most Britons are horrified by the Nowak case and want it to be taken seriously, they are also concerned about division and disorder.
‘Two-thirds say the Southampton demonstrators do not speak for them, and while most support peaceful protest, they have little tolerance for disorder or disruption.
‘In this, there’s a challenge for Nigel Farage.
‘His supporters want a strong response to any notion of two-tier policing, but the majority of Britons, including many of those who might consider Reform, reject anything that looks like incitement to violence.’
Mr Tryl added: ‘It is Kemi Badenoch who appears to have struck the right note: she is more likely than either Starmer or Farage to be seen by the public as having handled this case well.’
Meanwhile, 91 per cent of people wanted the current legal exemption allowing Sikhs to carry the kirpan ceremonial knife in public removed or tightened.
Digwa, described as ‘knife-obsessed’, was last week handed a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years for the murder of Mr Nowak.
The student had been returning from a University night out on the night he died.
