Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has publicly addressed explosive allegations of racist and antisemitic behaviour during his time at a prestigious private school, following a tense television interview where he repeatedly denied the claims.
The Explosive Allegations from School Days
Multiple former classmates from Dulwich College in south London have come forward with disturbing accounts of Mr Farage's conduct during the 1970s. Award-winning director Peter Ettedgui, who was 13 at the time, told The Guardian that the Reform leader would regularly tell him "Hitler was right" and make gas chamber jokes, complete with a hissing sound to mimic the release of gas.
Other former pupils described similar behaviour. Patrick Neylan, 61, an editor who was in the year below Farage, recalled the singing of a "gas 'em" song during Combined Cadet Force (CCF) camps. Another unnamed former student also mentioned songs about gassing Jews being taught during CCF activities.
Tim France, 61, who was in the same year as Mr Farage, claimed the politician would "regularly" perform the Nazi "Sieg Heil" salute during their school days. Another accusation involved Mr Farage allegedly putting someone in detention because of their skin colour.
Farage's Defence and Tense TV Exchange
In his first public response to the allegations, Mr Farage appeared on ITV News where he faced rigorous questioning about his school behaviour. When asked if he had racially abused fellow pupils, he responded: "No. This is 49 years ago by the way, 49 years ago."
The interview became increasingly tense as the presenter pressed for clearer answers. Mr Farage stated: "I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way," prompting the interviewer to note that this wasn't the same as denying the behaviour altogether.
When challenged about why the time elapsed mattered, Mr Farage argued: "I had just entered my teens. Can I remember everything that happened to school? No, I can't." He repeatedly emphasised that he had never engaged in "direct, unpleasant personal abuse" or been part of any extremist organisation.
Political Fallout and Party Response
A Reform UK spokesman had previously denied all allegations when they first emerged last week, describing them as "entirely without foundation" and accusing The Guardian of attempting to smear the party.
The spokesman highlighted that the newspaper had produced "no contemporaneous record or corroborating evidence" to support what he called "disputed recollections from nearly 50 years ago."
In their statement, Reform UK suggested the timing was politically motivated, noting that the party has "led in over 150 consecutive opinion polls" and that bookmakers now consider Mr Farage the favourite to become the next Prime Minister. They warned they expect "cynical attempts to smear Reform" to intensify as the next election approaches.
It's important to note that other students have said they don't recall the remarks or behaviour described by Mr Ettedgui, and there's no suggestion that Mr Farage, as an adult, holds the views attributed to him as a teenager.
