‘Petrol on the fire’: Sikhs in UK reconsider Reform support over response to Henry Nowak murder

Dabinderjit Singh, seen here wearing the small ceremonial kirpan dagger, says Nigel Farage’s call for ‘pure, cold rage’ is unforgivable. Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian

“There’s a genuine battle going on between Reform UK and Labour for Sikh voters,” says Dabinderjit Singh, of the Sikh Federation.

Until the case of Henry Nowak, the 18-year-old stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh, hit headlines across the country, traditional support for Labour among British Sikhs was slumping, while support for Reform was rising from a low base. But now the fledgling alliance between some British Sikhs and the populist right is facing its toughest test.