Farage Faces Renewed Scrutiny as Former Schoolmates Detail Alleged Teenage Racism
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing mounting pressure as more former Dulwich College classmates come forward with allegations of racist and antisemitic behavior during his teenage years, rejecting his characterization of the incidents as youthful “banter.”
The accusations, surfacing nearly a week after an initial investigation by The Guardian, paint a picture of targeted and sustained abuse spanning six years, from ages 13 to 18. Three additional former pupils have now publicly refuted Farage’s recent attempts to downplay the allegations, describing them as deeply hurtful and intentionally malicious.
One former student, Stefan Benarroch, recalled an environment where individuals leaving Jewish assembly at Dulwich College were specifically targeted for taunts by Farage and his associates. Another, Cyrus Oshidar, dismissed as “rubbish” Farage’s claim that he did not act with the intent to cause harm, pointedly asking, “Being called a Paki isn’t hurtful?” A third, Rickard Berg, stated bluntly to The Guardian: “He’s now in a position where he shouldn’t be denying this. He’s straight up lying.”
The Guardian has now spoken to over 20 individuals alleging racist or antisemitic conduct by Farage during his school years, including seven who specifically recall abuse directed at Peter Ettedgui, now an Emmy- and Bafta-winning director.
Initially, Farage’s aides “categorically denied” any engagement in, condoning, or leading racist or antisemitic behavior. However, in a broadcast interview on Monday night, Farage shifted his stance, admitting to potentially saying things that could be interpreted as prejudiced by today’s standards. He maintained, however, that he harbored no “intent” to inflict hurt based on race or religion.
“Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes,” Farage conceded. He further suggested he had “probably” “misspoken in my younger days,” while expressing uncertainty about his recollections after four decades. He denied directly abusing anyone, defining such abuse as “taking it out on an individual on the basis of who they are or what they are,” and suggested those speaking out were politically motivated and “not telling the truth.”
In a subsequent statement on Tuesday, Farage again altered his position, stating “categorically that I did not say the things that have been published in The Guardian aged 13, nearly 50 years ago,” and claiming the newspaper aimed to “smear anybody who talks about the immigration issue.”
Ettedgui, writing for The Guardian, directly challenged Farage’s denials, alleging that his former classmate would say things like “Hitler was right” or “gas them” to him. “Well, he did directly target me and I can tell you that it did hurt. How did he think it would make me feel? How does he think those who were called Pakis or told to ‘go home’ felt?” Ettedgui wrote.
Benarroch, who was two years below Farage at school and is Jewish, stated he was not personally targeted but vividly remembers the abuse directed at Ettedgui. “He was such a gentle soul and Farage – Farage made his life a fucking nightmare,” he said. He described how Farage and his “minions” would lie in wait outside the Jewish service held in the school’s science labs, taunting students as they left. Benarroch believes Farage’s claim of political motivation among the accusers echoes “the oldest of the antisemitic tropes,” akin to the idea of a “worldwide Jewish global conspiracy” requiring widespread deception.
Berg, a contemporary of Farage during O-levels, also recalled the direct and hurtful nature of the abuse directed at Ettedgui. “He definitely had a go at Peter and there were a couple of others he would also have a go at,” Berg stated. While Berg himself was not directly targeted – he believes he avoided abuse by standing up to Farage, unlike Ettedgui – he described Farage as a “bully” who “picked on the soft guys.” He recalled hearing Farage singing “Gas ’em all” to Ettedgui, though he didn’t fully grasp the significance at the time.
Oshidar, who attended Dulwich College alongside Farage, described a constant stream of name-calling, including antisemitic and racial slurs. “The same sort of noise that came out of him every day,” he claimed, acknowledging it was “the language of that time.” He asserted that Farage was unique in the regularity of his offensive remarks: “He wasn’t the only one saying it. But he was the only one in Dulwich saying it regularly.” Oshidar dismissed Farage’s denial of direct abuse as “rubbish,” stating, “There’s no question that this happened… Because of who he is now and where he is he will try to deny it. But he can’t. I mean, it’s undeniable.”
The allegations pose a significant challenge to Farage as he leads the Reform UK party and campaigns on issues of national identity and immigration. The ongoing scrutiny raises questions about his past conduct and its relevance to his current political ambitions.
