Farage Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Teenage racism and Antisemitism as Accusations Mount
As the UK heads towards a general election, Reform Party leader Nigel Farage is facing renewed scrutiny following allegations of racist and antisemitic behavior during his school years at Dulwich college. The number of former classmates coming forward with accusations has reached 28, prompting a defensive response from Farage, who has attacked broadcasters questioning him and invoked the name of controversial comedian Bernard manning.
The escalating controversy began with an examination by The Guardian into claims of deeply offensive behavior by Farage as a teenager.In an angry press conference in London, Farage suggested he would boycott the BBC and accused ITV of having its own issues, repeatedly shouting the name of Manning, a comedian known for racist and misogynistic material. manning, who died in 2007, was a prominent figure on British television in the 1970s but later faced criticism for his controversial routines.
The accusations come at a challenging time for FarageS party, which has seen its polling numbers decline in recent weeks. Five additional former school contemporaries have since come forward to The Guardian with allegations detailing racist or antisemitic behavior they witnessed.
One former classmate alleged that Farage commented on the increasing number of students named Patel than Smith.Richard Flowers corroborated this account, describing Farage pointing to the names in the yearbook and remarking on the shift in the most common surname.
The guardian obtained a copy of the 1980 school roll, which showed 12 Smiths and 13 Patels. Another former pupil of Asian background alleged that Farage openly expressed racist views, quoting Enoch Powell – a British politician known for his controversial anti-immigration speeches – as a form of “racial intimidation.” He recalled an incident during an assembly where Farage aggressively shouted out the name “Patel” as the headmaster read a list of students whose parents had not returned forms.
A further allegation details Farage making gas hissing noises at a Jewish boy, separate from Ettedgui, and displaying a “fascination with Hitler and the whole kind of Third Reich thing.”
Initially, Farage’s lawyer “categorically denied” the allegations. Farage later conceded he may have made remarks in “banter” that could be viewed differently today, but denied directly making racist or antisemitic statements. On Thursday, he denied acting with “malice” but became visibly agitated when questioned about the accusations.
The controversy extended to a confrontation with BBC presenter Emma Barnett, who questioned Farage about his “relationship with Hitler.” In response, Farage announced he would no longer speak to the BBC, deeming it “despicable” and “beyond belief.” He criticized Barnett as a “lower-grade presenter” and accused the BBC of hypocrisy, citing programs from the 1970s and 1980s that he claimed contained racist content, such as Are You Being Served? and It Ain’t Half Hot Mum. He demanded an apology from the BBC for its past programming.
Farage also read out a letter from a former schoolmate who described his behavior as “offensive” but not racist, stating that “there was plenty of macho tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter” and that Farage was “neither aggressive nor a racist.” When pressed on the discrepancies between these recollections and the allegations,Farage stated,”Recollections may vary.”
Simultaneously occurring, in Scotland, Labor leader Keir Starmer condemned Farage as “a toxic, divisive disgrace” after the Reform leader claimed in a campaign video that Glasgow was experiencing a “cultural smashing” due to the number of pupils who speak English as a second language. Starmer, alongside Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, emphasized the city’s diversity and compassion.
The allegations and Farage’s combative response raise serious questions about his past and its relevance to his current political ambitions as the UK prepares for a general election.
Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, dismissed the claims outright on Thursday, sta
