Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is facing mounting pressure to apologise after the number of his school contemporaries alleging they witnessed or were victims of his racist and antisemitic behaviour has risen to thirty-four. The former Dulwich College pupils have come forward with detailed accounts, contradicting Farage's evolving denials and his characterisation of the incidents as mere 'banter'.
Fresh Allegations of Targeted Abuse
Among the latest to speak out is Jason Meredith, 58, who was three years below Farage at the private school in south-east London. Meredith, of Anglo-Indian heritage, claims Farage called him a 'paki' and told him to 'go back home'. He was motivated to come forward by what he describes as Farage's denial of being racist. 'The word 'paki' was bandied by him – by Farage,' Meredith stated, recalling the taunts he experienced around the age of 15 or 16.
These new claims add to a growing chorus from former pupils who say they feel compelled to speak out due to anger at Farage's handling of the situation. So far, the Reform leader has refused to apologise, shifting his position from outright denial to acknowledging 'aggressive banter' while dismissing specific allegations as 'complete fantasy land' and 'made-up twaddle'.
Accounts of Antisemitic Harassment and 'Equal Opportunity' Racism
One of the most serious sets of allegations concerns antisemitic abuse directed at Peter Ettedgui, now a BAFTA- and Emmy-winning film director. Ettedgui has claimed Farage would tell him 'Hitler was right' and 'gas them', sometimes adding a hissing sound to simulate gas chambers. His account is corroborated by former classmate Adrian Woods, 62, who witnessed the harassment, though he does not recall the gas chamber references.
Woods described an incident where Ettedgui, in response to Farage's needling, launched into Shylock's 'Hath not a Jew eyes?' monologue from The Merchant of Venice. Ettedgui confirmed the story, explaining that drama became a 'safe haven' from Farage's hate speech.
Other contemporaries have described Farage as an 'equal opportunity racist'. James Varcoe, 61, recalled that Farage 'happily would use epithets about race', including the 'P word' and the 'N word', and would sing songs about gassing Jews. Chris Kibble, 62, also remembered the catchphrase 'gas em all' and Farage's frequent 'diatribe' about the school roll containing more boys named Patel than Smith in 1980—a fact verified by the Guardian.
Mounting Pressure and Political Fallout
The allegations have triggered sustained calls for Farage to 'own up' from politicians across the spectrum. Twenty-six school contemporaries have signed an open letter demanding an apology for his alleged teenage racism, which they say was persistent throughout his time at Dulwich from ages 13 to 18. A separate letter from eleven Holocaust survivors also demands he tell the truth and apologise for alleged antisemitic abuse. Farage has not publicly responded to either letter.
Despite the controversy, Farage told the Times last week that the allegations were 'having zero effect' and might even be 'solidifying our core support'. His deputy, Richard Tice, has branded those making claims as liars. However, the testimony of thirty-four individuals, many speaking on the record, presents a significant challenge to Farage's narrative and raises fresh questions about his past conduct as he leads a party seeking substantial influence in British politics.
