Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and a leading candidate for the next UK prime minister, is facing new accusations of racist and antisemitic behavior during his teenage years at Dulwich College in south London, according to the Guardian. Over a dozen former classmates have shared accounts describing disturbing conduct, including chanting racist songs, using racial slurs, and expressing neo-fascist views. Farage firmly denies these claims and questions the relevance of allegations dating back more than 40 years.
Bafta- and Emmy-winning director Peter Ettedgui, who attended Dulwich with Farage, recalls the hectoring tone and jeering quality in Farage's voice. Ettedgui recounted instances where Farage would say, "Hitler was right" or "Gas them," sometimes adding a hiss to imitate gas chambers, the Guardian reported. Ettedgui described these moments as deeply shocking, particularly as his grandparents had escaped Nazi Germany. He also heard Farage use racial slurs such as "Paki" and "Wog" and tell students to "go home." These experiences were humiliating and shaming. These memories have lingered, reemerging whenever Farage's aggressive tone is heard today. Ettedgui believes Farage was a profoundly, precociously racist teenager who has never shown remorse for his actions, according to the Guardian.
Other contemporaries shared a similar narrative. Some former members of Dulwich's combined cadet force, in which Farage was active, recalled Farage teaching or leading singing of songs with deeply offensive racist lyrics, including the "Gas 'em all" chant heard on football terraces in the 1980s. Some expressed shame for their involvement, while others noted Farage frequently performed Nazi salutes and chanting slogans such as "Hitler was right" and "BM, BM, we are British Nazi men," linking Farage to extremist right-wing imagery during school, the Guardian reported.
Teachers and staff at Dulwich also documented concerns. An English teacher's 1981 letter opposing Farage's prefect appointment cited his publicly professed racist and neo-fascist views and referenced reports of singing Hitler Youth songs at cadet camps. Despite debate, Farage was ultimately appointed prefect, though several staff feared his attitude toward younger boys and ethnic minorities made him unsuitable for the role.
Farage's supporters note his charm and affability, and some former pupils recall no racist incidents. The evidence does not suggest that Farage belonged to far-right groups. Journalist Michael Crick concluded that Farage, the man, is not a racist, though his politics have attracted extremists. Farage has publicly downplayed similar controversies, such as Reform MP Sarah Pochin's apology for racially insensitive comments, while critics emphasize a persistent focus on immigration and national identity in his rhetoric, past and present, The Guardian explained.
Reform UK dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated, emphasizing Farage's lead in opinion polls and warning of intensified attacks ahead of the election.
