Nigel Farage has vehemently denied ever saying anything racist "with malice," while launching a fierce attack on the BBC during a press conference in central London. The Reform UK leader's latest comments come as he attempts to address a growing number of claims from former schoolmates about alleged abusive behaviour decades ago.
Farage's Fiery Denial and Media Attack
Speaking at the Institute of Directors, Farage declined to explicitly label his accusers as liars. However, he lost his composure when questioned by the BBC about alleged antisemitic remarks. The confrontation escalated when he was asked about his deputy leader, Richard Tice, who had previously dismissed the testimony of Farage's former Dulwich College classmates as "made-up twaddle" and lies.
Farage's anger peaked when referencing a BBC interview where presenter Emma Barnett questioned Tice about Farage's "relationship with Hitler." This line of questioning related to allegations from a Jewish former classmate who claimed Farage told him either "Hitler was right" or "Gas them."
A Tirade Against the BBC and Historic Programming
In a dramatic response, Farage announced he would no longer engage with the BBC, branding the broadcaster "despicable" and "beyond belief." He criticised Barnett as one of the corporation's "lower-grade presenters" before broadening his attack to target the BBC's historical output.
Farage demanded an apology from the BBC for content it broadcast in the 1970s and 1980s that would now be considered racist. He specifically cited comedian Bernard Manning, the fictional character Alf Garnett, and The Black and White Minstrel Show as examples of this historic content, accusing the corporation of glaring double standards.
"I cannot put up with the double standards of the BBC about what I’m alleged to have said 49 years ago, and what you were putting out on mainstream content," Farage stated during the press conference.
Defence from a Schoolmate and 'Varied Recollections'
To counter the allegations, Farage read aloud a letter he said was from another former schoolmate at Dulwich College. The writer, who identified as Jewish and was a contemporary, stated he never heard Farage racially abuse anyone.
The letter acknowledged that "macho tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter" was common and sometimes offensive, but asserted it was "never with malice." The correspondent argued the culture at the school in the 1970s was very different and that many boys said things they would regret today.
When pressed repeatedly by journalists, including from ITV, on whether accusers like producer Peter Ettedgui were lying, Farage stopped short of endorsing Tice's strong language. Instead, he offered a more ambiguous response: "Recollections may vary." He also criticised ITV for having featured Bernard Manning in the past.
The Conservative Party was quick to respond to Farage's press conference, stating he had "just called a press conference and used it to rant at journalists over historic allegations of racism and antisemitism – allegations he has just admitted are true." The political fallout from these historical claims and Farage's aggressive media strategy continues to unfold.
