London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed profound dismay at what he describes as Nigel Farage's "desperate" denials of allegations concerning racist behaviour during his school years, drawing parallels to his own childhood experiences with racial abuse.
Personal Experience Shapes Khan's Response
The Mayor revealed that testimony from more than 20 individuals who made allegations about the Reform UK leader had evoked powerful memories from his own past. Khan, aged 55, spoke emotionally about how racial abuse during childhood creates lasting changes in victims.
"Being called the 'P word' at that age doesn't just hurt you, it changes you," Khan stated. "It changes how you pronounce your name. It changes the way you talk to your friends, and it changes the way you walk down the street. These are experiences you never forget. I still remember vividly how I felt."
Farage's Controversial Defence
Khan expressed particular concern about Farage's suggestion that the alleged abuse could be dismissed as "banter" that was typical of its time. The Mayor emphasised that this perspective fails to acknowledge the genuine impact on those subjected to such behaviour.
"Growing up in London in the 70s and 80s, I was no stranger to racist abuse," Khan recalled. "Those responsible might have thought it was a bit of harmless banter, but I'll never forget how their words made me feel."
The controversy centres on allegations from Farage's contemporaries at Dulwich College in south-east London. Among the most serious claims came from Peter Ettedgui, 61, now an Emmy- and Bafta-winning director, who alleged that Farage would "sidle up to me and growl: 'Hitler was right,' or 'Gas them,' sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers."
Political Fallout and Wider Implications
Khan questioned why the 61-year-old Reform leader has failed to apologise to his former schoolmates, stating that this refusal "speaks volumes about the character of a man who claims he wants to be the prime minister of this country."
The government has seized upon the allegations, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer commenting during a visit to Bushey United Synagogue: "This is not just something that can be passed over. These allegations were made in relation to Nigel Farage. They're serious. They affect human beings in a visceral way."
Farage's response has evolved since the initial Guardian investigation. His lawyers initially claimed that "the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied." Later, in a BBC interview, he appeared to shift position, acknowledging he might have said things "50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground."
Khan concluded with a warning about the normalisation of racism, stating: "We've made huge progress as a society since then, but we risk normalising racism like we did decades ago. Racism has the same long-lasting impact on people now as it did then, and we need to keep calling it out."
