The British arm of US conservative group Turning Point has accused UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy of "fuelling violent rhetoric" following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university event in Utah.
Kirk, 31, a father of two, was struck in the neck by a single bullet while speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday in what local authorities have described as a political assassination. His death prompted widespread condemnation and a mix of tributes, outrage and recriminations on both sides of the Atlantic.
Turning Point UK issued a statement saying Lammy "has been at the forefront of fuelling violent rhetoric against those on the Right of politics." The group cited past comments it said demonised Kirk and Turning Point, and said: "Charlie Kirk is dead because Left-wing politicians like Lammy demonised and misrepresented political opponents and turned them into bogeymen that extremists view as legitimate targets." The statement called for a change in political rhetoric to prevent further violence.
Lammy, a senior Labour politician, is quoted in press archives as having criticised the launch of Turning Point UK in 2019 as evidence that "sinister forces are taking hold of our country." In a social media post at the time he said the Conservative Party had shifted to promote "hard-Right, xenophobic bile." Turning Point UK's statement linked those and other comments to an allegedly hostile climate toward conservative activists.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute on X, saying: "It is heartbreaking that a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband. We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear – there can be no justification for political violence." President Donald Trump also led tributes in the United States, while Brendan Cox, whose wife Jo Cox was murdered in 2016, praised senior Democrats including Barack Obama, the Clintons and Nancy Pelosi for publicly condemning the killing.
Reactions to the killing and to public commentary have included expressions of shock and condemnation, but also examples of online celebration and divisive commentary that have drawn criticism. Fiona Wild, an independent councillor in Burnley, resigned after writing on social media that she believed Kirk "made himself a target" and adding a comment that prompted an outcry. Left-wing commentator Nels Abbey compared Kirk to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke during an ITV debate, saying he did not intend to justify the murder but drawing ire for the remark.
Former Conservative minister Michael Gove described Kirk on ITV as "a sort of Cicero for the TikTok age," calling the shooting "the latest political assassination to afflict America." ITV's broadcast and a BBC appearance by Democratic strategist Joi Chaney prompted further criticism: viewers objected to remarks perceived as dismissive of Kirk soon after his death, and clips of the exchanges were widely shared on social media.
Turning Point UK urged political figures and media outlets to reconsider language used about opponents. Its statement accused Lammy of "baselessly calling President Trump a 'Neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath'" and of branding Kirk and Turning Point "xenophobic," allegations the deputy prime minister's office has not responded to in a public statement linked to the shooting.
The killing has intensified debate about political discourse and safety for public figures in the United States ahead of a fraught election season. Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA and had travelled to the UK in 2019 to help launch Turning Point UK, leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, and two young children.
Law enforcement agencies in Utah continue to investigate the shooting and have described it as politically motivated. Political leaders and commentators on both sides have urged calm and cautioned against using the episode to inflame partisan tensions, while critics of online and media commentary have demanded stronger moderation of dehumanising rhetoric.
As investigations proceed, the incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of political language, cross-border influence of activist networks and the responsibilities of public figures in shaping debate. Parties, broadcasters and individual politicians in Britain and the United States were asked for comment on the accusations and on specific remarks cited by Turning Point UK, and responses to those requests were sought as the story developed.