Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing serious allegations of "persistent" racial abuse during his school years, with a former classmate strongly rejecting the politician's characterisation of the behaviour as mere "banter".
The Allegations from School Days
Peter Ettedgui, a Bafta-winning film director whose Jewish grandparents escaped Nazi Germany, has come forward with disturbing claims about Farage's conduct when they attended Dulwich College together in the late 1970s. According to Ettedgui, Farage repeatedly made antisemitic remarks including growling "Hitler was right", hissing "gas them" and telling him "to the gas chambers".
The allegations emerged alongside claims from more than a dozen former pupils of the prestigious south London school who have accused the Reform leader of making antisemitic and racist remarks during his time there. The original reports were published in The Guardian newspaper.
Farage's Evolving Response
In his first interview since the allegations surfaced, Farage appeared on ITV on Monday and left open the possibility that he might have made racist remarks without "intent". He stated: "I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way" while admitting to engaging in "banter in a playground".
However, in a prepared statement delivered on Tuesday, the Reform UK leader took a firmer position, categorically denying he had ever made such comments and suggesting the claims were politically motivated given his party's recent surge in polling numbers.
Victim Rejects 'Banter' Explanation
Mr Ettedgui has expressed little surprise at Farage's denial, telling The Times: "This is no surprise, he has been denying any kind of racist behaviour since 2013." He strongly refuted the characterisation of the abuse as playground banter, describing it as something entirely different.
"It wasn't banter, banter was calling someone a y** - this was different, it was persistent," Ettedgui explained. "It was throughout the year that we shared a class, in class 3R, and we were seated in alphabetical order, 30-odd kids, I was right next to him."
He emphasised that he never experienced anything remotely similar to Farage's comments either before or since their school days together.
Political Context and Timing
Farage has questioned the timing of the allegations, noting in his statement: "Isn't it interesting: I am probably the most scrutinised figure in British politics, having been in public life for 32 years. Several books and thousands of stories have been written about me, but it is only now that my party is leading in the polls that these allegations come out."
He accused The Guardian of wanting "to smear anybody who talks about the immigration issue" and claimed he has "done more in my career to defeat extremism and far-right politics than anybody else in the UK".
When pressed during his ITV interview about whether he engaged in racial abuse at school, Farage responded: "Not with intent." He elaborated: "No, I have never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody," while acknowledging he may have said things "50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground".
The Reform leader's comments have sparked significant controversy as his party continues to gain traction in British politics, with these historical allegations now becoming a focal point in the ongoing political discourse.
