Ex-classmates blast UK far-right leader for describing his alleged bigotry as ‘banter’

Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s anti-immigration Reform UK party, said he has “never directly racially abused anybody,” after a report alleging he made antisemitic remarks at school.

Several former classmates promptly rejected Farage’s comments, accusing him of intentionally targeting fellow students and now lying about it.

The 61-year-old Brexit campaigner and his populist party have long been accused of flirting with racism, something which both have denied. The party, which is leading in opinion polls, has kicked out some members for unacceptable comments.

After the Guardian newspaper reported that some of Farage’s contemporaries at school had accused him of making racist and antisemitic remarks, including that “Hitler was right,” Farage told BBC News: “I’ve never directly racially abused anybody. No.”

“Have I ever tried to take it out on any individual on the basis of where they’re from? No,” Farage told BBC News late on Monday. “I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.”

“Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground, that you can interpret in the modern light of day in some sort of way? Yes,” Farage added.

Report quoted pupils, teacher’s letter

When asked by BBC News if he had ever racially abused fellow pupils, the Reform leader responded: “Not with intent.” He added that he would not apologize “because I don’t think I did anything that directly hurt anybody.”

The Guardian newspaper said last week that more than a dozen former pupils at a fee-paying school in south London accused Farage of using antisemitic language, singing songs referencing gas chambers and performing Nazi salutes. Others said they did not remember racist behavior.

The paper also cited a teacher’s 1981 letter — drawn from a biography published in 2022 about Farage — describing the Reform leader as having “publicly professed racist and neo-fascist views.”

The party denied the allegations to the Guardian, which on Tuesday quoted several former students at the school pushing back against Farage’s description of his comments as “banter.”

According to Stefan Benarroch, Farage never abused him personally but repeatedly targeted fellow Jewish student Peter Ettedgui.

“He was such a gentle soul and Farage — Farage made his life a fucking nightmare,” said Benarroch. ““They could only identify us, because we had to go to this stupid Jewish service in the science labs school. I mean, none of us were remotely religious. They would hang out there. Farage would hang out with his minions. And then they would taunt us as we would leave.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called the allegations “disturbing” and called on Farage to explain himself.

Starmer also accused Farage of failing to act over “obvious racism” in his party after a member of Farage’s party, Sarah Pochin, apologised last month for saying adverts “full of Black people, full of Asian people” did not reflect society.

Farage condemned Pochin’s remarks as “ugly” but said they were not racist, prompting Starmer to brand him “spineless.”