What My Childhood Bully Taught Me About Nigel Farage and Sincere Apologies
As Reform UK leader Nigel Farage continues to shrug off allegations about racist schoolyard taunts from his youth, journalist Jonathan Margolis recalls the lifelong scars left by similar abuse during his own childhood. The striking contrast between Farage's dismissive attitude and Margolis's former bully's heartfelt apology reveals much about the power of genuine remorse.
The Schoolyard Wounds That Never Fully Heal
In a recent interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Farage stated he had not "for a single moment worried about whether he upset anyone" regarding allegations of antisemitic behavior during his school years. He offered a qualified expression of regret, saying: "I think there were two people who said they were hurt, all right, and if they genuinely were then that's a pity and I'm sorry, but never, ever did I intend to hurt anybody. Never have."
Margolis, who experienced similar antisemitic bullying as a child, describes this response as having "the flavour of the classic political apology" – expressing regret if anyone felt hurt rather than taking full responsibility for the actions themselves.
A Different Kind of Reckoning
Margolis recently reconnected with his own childhood tormentor, John Dickens, after more than fifty years of silence. Dickens had been "an obsessively antisemitic bully" during their schooldays in the 1960s. Unlike Farage, Dickens offered an immediate and profound apology when confronted about his past behavior.
"On hearing my voice, and without prompting, he raised some of the awful things he had said and tried to explain what had been going on in his life," Margolis recalls. Dickens explained they had been just eleven years old at the time, and he had been trying to appear tough in front of older boys.
The Lifelong Impact of Childhood Abuse
Margolis describes how the antisemitic heckling he endured as a child "unsettled me deeply and lingered for decades afterwards." The experience was particularly shocking coming barely twenty years after the Holocaust had ended, at a time when Margolis had never previously encountered antisemitic remarks.
The bullying marked him so profoundly that he sometimes pretended to be Greek later in life – aided by his Greek-sounding surname – simply to avoid similar hostility. "In a strange way," he notes, "it prepared me for later encounters with far more explicit and vicious antisemitism, which has resurfaced in recent years."
Two Paths: Accountability Versus Dismissal
While Farage has repeatedly rejected allegations about his school behavior, describing them as "made-up fantasies" or typical "banter," Dickens took a radically different approach. The retired headteacher from Swindon demonstrated what Margolis calls "one of the most remarkable acts of decency I have witnessed."
Margolis suggests that had Farage followed Dickens's example – publicly expressing embarrassment and shame about his past behavior – much of the ongoing controversy might have been avoided. "All he had to do was what my former bully said: 'I want to come right out publicly and say how embarrassed and ashamed I am about how I behaved back then,'" Margolis writes.
The Redemption That Came With Honesty
Following Dickens's sincere apology, the two men have developed an unexpected friendship. They shared a lunch together and maintain regular contact. Margolis describes Dickens as "a humble, decent man who did what anyone with integrity and character should do when confronting an embarrassing past – though few actually manage it."
This stands in stark contrast to Farage's approach, which Margolis suggests might stem from a reluctance to alienate supporters who admire his unapologetic persona. "To good people, though," Margolis concludes, "it's more obvious than ever that Farage is just a fake Trump with bad teeth. Slightly brighter and more pub-able, but a chancer at best who, by his own admission, doesn't give a moment's thought about whether he has upset somebody or not."
The comparison between these two responses to allegations of past antisemitic behavior reveals fundamental differences in character and accountability. While one man found redemption through honest confrontation with his past, the other continues to dismiss serious allegations as insignificant schoolyard banter.
