Rattled by recent accusations of racism during his time at a prestigious private school, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, vehemently denied the allegations tonight. In a firm rebuttal, the long-standing Member of Parliament and former European Parliament representative for twenty years asserted that the claims, dating back 49 years, were baseless. This statement follows intense scrutiny after a confrontational ITV interview just a day earlier.
Allegations from former classmates at Dulwich College in south London surfaced, accusing Mr. Farage of making pro-Hitler remarks, joking about gas chambers, and discriminating against students based on their skin color. Notably, award-winning director Peter Ettedgui, recalling incidents from when he was 13, claimed that Farage endorsed Hitler’s actions and made disturbing comments mimicking gas chambers sounds.
Another anonymous former student mentioned being in a youth organization where Farage allegedly taught songs with antisemitic themes. Ettedgui emphasized Mr. Farage’s alleged dishonesty and expressed disappointment and anger at the situation, given Farage’s significant influence on British politics over the years.
In response, Farage refuted the accusations, emphasizing his extensive public scrutiny throughout his political career and attributing the timing of the allegations to his party’s current lead in opinion polls. He labeled the claims as a “smear” orchestrated by political opponents and the establishment, highlighting his efforts against extremism and far-right ideologies in the UK.
Despite the allegations, there is no evidence to suggest that Farage currently holds the views attributed to him during his youth. Additionally, other former students have not corroborated the reported remarks or behaviors described by Ettedgui.
A spokesperson for Reform UK dismissed the allegations as unfounded and criticized the lack of supporting evidence or contemporaneous records from almost five decades ago. The spokesperson also highlighted the party’s consistent lead in opinion polls and the mounting attempts to discredit Reform UK as the next election approaches.