School Bullying Scandal Engulfs Reform UK Leader
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, faces mounting allegations of racist and antisemitic behaviour during his time as a student at Dulwich College in south London. The controversy has intensified after twenty former contemporaries came forward with accounts of offensive conduct, while Farage maintains his innocence through a spokesperson.
The Reform UK leader's representative has dismissed the claims as 'one person's word against another' and accused The Guardian of conducting a smear campaign. However, the newspaper has gathered testimony from multiple witnesses who attended the prestigious private school with Farage during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Victims and Witnesses Speak Out
Among those speaking publicly is Peter Ettedgui, who describes experiencing direct antisemitic abuse from Farage. 'He would sidle up to me and growl: 'Hitler was right' or 'gas them',' Ettedgui recalled, adding that Farage would sometimes hiss to simulate gas chambers. The abuse left him feeling 'humiliated and shamed'.
Anthony Butler, another classmate, corroborated Ettedgui's account, remembering Farage 'relentlessly hectoring and bullying Ettedgui with shouts of 'stupid yid' in the playground'. Butler expressed regret for not intervening at the time and offered a heartfelt apology to Ettedgui.
Jean-Pierre Lihou provided one of the most disturbing accounts, recalling racist songs allegedly sung by Farage. 'Gas em all, gas em all, into the chambers they crawl. We'll gas all the paks, and we'll gas all the yids, and we'll gas all the coons and all their fucking kids', Lihou quoted from memory.
Pattern of Behaviour Emerges
Multiple witnesses described similar patterns of behaviour. Martin Rosell, now chair of the Liberal Democrats in Salisbury, recalled Farage making antisemitic comments 'under his breath' directed at Jewish students.
Former teacher Bob Jope confirmed witnessing an incident where Farage told Ettedgui to 'Shut up you Jew', resulting in Farage being sent out of the classroom. Jope acknowledged that as a young teacher at the time, he struggled to handle such overt racism appropriately.
Andy Field described an alarming incident when Farage, as a senior student, demonstrated how to be a prefect by randomly selecting 'a kid of Asian extraction' and putting him in detention without justification. Field recalled being 'flabbergasted and disgusted' by the racially motivated action.
Systematic Racism Alleged
Several anonymous former pupils provided additional context about Farage's behaviour. One ethnic minority student described being approached by Farage and his friends on three separate occasions and told 'That's the way back' to wherever they said they were from.
Another witness claimed Farage taught younger members of the Combined Cadet Force the 'infamous 'gas 'em all' song' and led singing of it on coach journeys to training areas.
Multiple accounts mention Farage's admiration for far-right figures, with Mark Haward recalling him 'chanting 'Oswald Ernald Mosley'', the leader of the British Union of Fascists, and performing Nazi salutes in class.
Farage's Response and Political Implications
Through his spokesperson, Farage has denied all allegations and emphasised the lack of 'primary evidence' beyond witness testimony. The spokesperson maintains that 'there is no evidence' to support the claims and characterises the situation as a matter of conflicting memories.
However, with more than half of the twenty witnesses speaking on the record, and including both victims and observers, the allegations present a significant challenge to Farage's political credibility. The timing is particularly sensitive as Reform UK seeks to gain traction in the current political landscape.
Luke Gray, another contemporary, summarised the perception of many former students, describing Farage as 'the school pet racist' who was 'proud to be a racist at school' and used 'every racial slur you could possibly imagine'.
The emerging pattern from multiple independent accounts suggests that racist and antisemitic behaviour formed a core part of Farage's school identity, raising questions about how this history aligns with his current political positioning and leadership of Reform UK.
