Nigel Farage has said he did not racially abuse fellow pupils “with intent” following allegations about his behaviour during his days at secondary school.
More than a dozen of Farage’s contemporaries at Dulwich College, a public school in south London, have claimed that he used racist and antisemitic language as a teenager, targeting other children.
Representatives of the Reform UK leader have stridently denied the allegations, reported last week in The Guardian, but Farage had not publicly commented until this evening.
At a Reform UK event in Wales, Farage was asked directly by ITV News whether he racially abused fellow pupils while at school.
He replied: “No, this is 49 years ago by the way, 49 years ago. Have I ever tried to take it out on any individual on the basis of where they’re from? No.”
When pressed to provide a more direct answer, Farage added: “I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.
“It’s 49 years ago. It’s 49 years ago. I had just entered my teens. Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t.
Farage was asked about the allegations by ITV News (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)“Have I ever been part of an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant, personal abuse, genuine abuse, on that basis? No.”
When asked again whether he had racially abused anyone, Farage said: “No, not with intent.”
Farage added: “No. I have never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody.”
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Among those making allegations in The Guardian was the Bafta and Emmy-award winning director Peter Ettedgui, 61, who claimed to have been verbally abused by Farage repeatedly as a 13- and 14-year-old.
“He 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,” Ettedgui claimed of his experience of sharing a class with Farage.
Responding to the ITV interview, Lord Mike Katz, Labour Peer and former Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, accused Farage of making excuses for using racist language.
He said: “Just when you thought Nigel Farage couldn’t sink any lower, he is trying to say abhorrent racist comments, including vile antisemitic insults, doesn’t matter. He seems to think that you can racially abuse people without it being hurtful and insulting. Let’s be crystal clear: you can’t.
“Farage refuses to discipline the racist views of his MPs and he won’t take action on the toxic culture within his party. He should finally come clean on claims over his past and apologise to those who bravely spoke out.
“Failure to do so would be yet more evidence that Farage is simply unfit for office.”
Reform UK has been approached for comment.
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