Badenoch warns police are seen as a ‘ghost service’ after fatal stabbing case
At a Police Federation conference, Kemi Badenoch said recent police mishandling, citing the Henry Nowak case, has left the force perceived as a “ghost service”.
During a Police Federation gathering, Kemi Badenoch condemned what she called “devastating police failures”, pointing to the December 2025 incident in Southampton where 18-year-old Henry Nowak was handcuffed while he was dying from a stabbing. Body-camera footage shows Nowak repeatedly stating he had been stabbed, only to be dismissed by an officer. Badenoch said families like Nowak’s are left to fight for answers, fueling a perception that the police have become a “ghost service”.
She added that, although the Conservatives plan to hire 10,000 additional officers for high-crime areas, they cannot deliver a massive immediate pay rise due to fiscal constraints. The minister also pledged to back officers facing misconduct investigations and urged the public not to fear doing the right thing.
Why it matters
The comments highlight public distrust in policing and signal the government's stance on police funding and reform.
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Andy Burnham signals possible UK return to the EU after condemning Brexit
- Sep 30 The Prime Minister now says re‑joining the EU is among the options the government will consider.
- Sep 30 Burnham signaled that full EU membership is among the possible routes Labour could evaluate.
- Oct 3 A new poll shows half of British adults now support rejoining the EU.
- Oct 4 Kemi Badenoch opened the Conservative conference by framing the Tories as a common-sense party, unveiling pledges on tighter welfare, prison expansion and free childcare for high-earning families.
- Oct 5 Badenoch pushed to drop the £100,000 childcare tax cap at the conference.
- Oct 6 Announced a cut to employer National Insurance for 21‑ to 24‑year‑olds from 15% to 7.5%.
- Oct 7 Badenoch announced a defence spending target of 3% of GDP.
- Oct 8 Badenoch denounced Reform UK as ethnically exclusive at the conference.
- Oct 8 Burnham announced that the pension triple‑lock will be scrapped after the next general election and its savings will fund a National Care Service.
- Oct 13 YouGov’s latest survey indicates that Reform has reclaimed the third-most-favoured position, surpassing the Conservative Party for the first time since early 2024, though the margin is within the poll’s error range. The poll suggests the Conservatives may have benefited from recent conference coverage, while Labour’s support appears to be fading. In the Commons, MP Burnham affirmed the legitimacy of recent election results but highlighted concerns over foreign actors seeking to influence UK democracy.
- Oct 14 Dean Miller, a Reform UK councillor in Bromley, quit after secret recordings captured him making racist comments and claiming King Charles is Muslim.
- Oct 18 Ipsos poll shows Conservatives have moved ahead of Reform UK in the opposition race.
- Oct 19 The party has suspended activist Jason Powell and opened investigations into several councillors.
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