Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is facing serious new allegations of racist behaviour during his school days, with a former classmate claiming he was told to 'go back to Africa' by a teenage Farage.
A Decades-Old Allegation Surfaces
Yinka Bankole has come forward to allege that the incident occurred more than four decades ago, shortly after he started at Dulwich College in south London. Mr Bankole, whose parents moved to the UK from Nigeria in the 1950s, claims a 17-year-old Nigel Farage singled him out.
He described to The Guardian how Farage would allegedly approach him and ask 'where are you from', but before he could answer, would tell him to 'go back to Africa'. Mr Bankole stated this was done 'without knowing my name, but just looking at me with what appeared to be no appreciation of my humanity and simply because of how I looked.'
The Trigger for Speaking Out
Mr Bankole explained his decision to publicly share his story now was prompted by seeing the Reform UK leader's recent media appearances. He told LBC radio that the trigger point was 'listening to him... When he pretends to be a victim.'
'When you know someone who has actually shown so much hate towards your existence - based on how you look... that triggered me,' he said. He questioned 'How can a man like him be PM in a multicultural forward looking country.'
Farage's Furious Response and Wider Claims
These allegations emerge amidst a series of claims from more than a dozen former Dulwich College classmates. They have alleged that Mr Farage made pro-Hitler comments, joked about gas chambers, and put someone in detention because of their skin colour.
Mr Farage has reacted angrily to the broader accusations. In a heated exchange with a BBC reporter this week, he demanded an apology from the corporation for its own historical content from the 1970s and 1980s, calling its 'double standards and hypocrisy... absolutely astonishing.'
He insisted he would never racially abuse people in a 'hurtful or insulting way' and has dismissed the claims from decades ago. Reform UK chairman Richard Tice has labelled the allegations about Hitler praise as 'made-up twaddle'. The party has categorically denied all claims, stating they are part of a smear campaign against its leader.
The party has been approached for further comment regarding Mr Bankole's specific allegation.
