Nigel Farage has denied “directly racially abusing” fellow pupils during his time as a schoolboy at Dulwich College in London.
During a grilling over allegations he directed racist and antisemitic language at schoolmates, Reform UK leader told ITV he had never made racist comments in a “hurtful or insulting way” or with “intent”.
It comes after reports in The Guardian from more than a dozen Dulwich College boys who alleged he had made racist and antisemitic comments during their time at school. One former classmate, Bafta and Emmy-award winning director Peter Ettedgui, 61, claimed Mr Farage had told him “Hitler was right” and “Gas them”, adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers.
During an interview with ITV, Mr Farage was asked whether he did racially abuse fellow pupils during his time at the college. “No. This was 49 years ago, by the way,” he answered. “Have I ever tried to take it out on any individual on the basis of where they’re from? No.”
Asked whether he was categorically denying the allegations, Mr Farage said: “I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.”
He added: “I just entered my teens. Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t. Have I ever been part of an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant personal abuse, genuine abuse, on that basis? No.”
The interviewer then suggested Mr Farage’s answer is “very very caveated” before the Reform leader repeated that he did not racially abuse his fellow pupils “with intent”.
“I have never directly racially abused anybody, no,” he said. “Have I ever misspoken in my life in my younger days when I was a child. Probably.”
He added there was a “strong political element” to the allegations.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer called on Mr Farage to explain himself over the claims last week.
A spokesman for the Reform UK leader said he was not going to sue over the claims “at this stage” but asked if that was an option being kept open he said “potentially, yes”.
Mr Farage’s spokesman said: “These allegations date back 45 years, and I think that at any point in time – when Nigel was leader of UKIP, when he stood in the 2010 general election, the 2015 general election, during Brexit, maybe in the 2019 general election – you’d have to ask yourself, why this hasn’t come up before.”
He added: “Nigel is very clear, there’s no primary evidence.”
Mr Farage was “probably mischievous” at school but denies the allegations made in The Guardian, the spokesman said.
