A group of Holocaust survivors has issued a powerful plea to Nigel Farage, urging him to apologise for alleged racist and antisemitic behaviour during his school days. The Reform UK leader has faced mounting claims about his conduct as a pupil at the prestigious Dulwich College in south London.
Survivors Condemn 'Hateful Words'
The 11 signatories, some of whom survived Nazi death camps, have written directly to the Clacton MP. They state they intimately "understand the danger of hateful words" and are calling for clarity. They demand to know if Mr Farage made the alleged remarks or if he is accusing his former classmates and teachers of lying.
The letter explicitly rejects Mr Farage's previous characterisation of the incidents as potential "banter." It declares: "Let us be clear: praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter. Not in a playground. Not anywhere." The survivors emphasise that "honesty, reflection and commitment to truth" are the only responsible responses to allegations of invoking Nazi attitudes towards Jewish children.
Direct Questions and Specific Allegations
The survivors pose direct questions to the political leader: "Did you say 'Hitler was right' and 'gas them', mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to antisemitic abuse?" They present him with a stark choice: "If you deny saying those words, are you saying that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? If you did say them, now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong, and apologise."
One of those former classmates, Peter Ettedgui, who is Jewish, has publicly accused Mr Farage of repeatedly approaching him at school and saying "Hitler was right." The letter's signatories include Hedi Argent, who fled Austria and lost 27 family members in the Holocaust, and Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto in German-occupied Soviet territory.
Farage's Response and Wider Political Reaction
At a press conference on Thursday, 4 December 2025, Nigel Farage denied ever making racist remarks in a "malicious or nasty way." He has previously suggested that what might have been seen as "banter in a playground" could be interpreted differently in "the modern light of day." During the conference, he attempted to deflect questions by suggesting journalists from major broadcasters displayed double standards, citing past programming from their outlets that would now be considered racist.
The controversy unfolds alongside other contentious statements from the Reform UK leader. Sir Keir Starmer has labelled Mr Farage a "toxic, divisive disgrace" over recent claims that one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow do not speak English as a first language, which Mr Farage described as the "cultural smashing of Glasgow." Scottish First Minister John Swinney condemned those comments as "simply racist."
The survivors' letter concludes with a profound warning relevant to all political leadership: "Those who hope to lead our country should never divide people by race or religion. Antisemitic hatred must never be normalised."
