School Allegations Resurface for Reform UK Leader
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader tipped by polls as Britain's potential next prime minister, faces mounting pressure over allegations of antisemitic behaviour during his school years. More than twenty former classmates from Dulwich College have come forward with consistent accounts of disturbing incidents spanning Farage's entire secondary education.
According to testimony shared with the Guardian, the young Farage reportedly told a Jewish pupil that 'Hitler was right' and engaged in chanting 'Gas 'em all' while making hissing sounds to simulate lethal gas chambers. These allegations cover a six-year period until Farage was in the sixth form, aged 18.
Evolving Defence Strategy Raises Questions
Rather than offering a straightforward apology, Farage and his party have employed what critics describe as 'shifting accounts' and 'non-denial denials'. The Reform leader's defence rests on three main arguments that have drawn significant scrutiny.
First, Farage has implied his accusers are lying - a response that at least one Jewish former schoolmate identifies as echoing antisemitic tropes about Jewish people fabricating suffering for hidden agendas. Second, the defence claims these events are irrelevant because they occurred during childhood, despite evidence they continued until Farage was legally an adult.
The third defence argues that school behaviour has no bearing on Farage's current politics. However, this position appears contradicted by Farage's own recent characterisation of such behaviour as mere 'banter in a playground' when discussing the allegations in a 2025 broadcast interview.
Pattern of Concerning Adult Behaviour
Evidence suggests Farage's problematic engagement with antisemitic themes extends well beyond his school years. In 2017, the Board of Deputies of British Jews accused him of crossing 'into well-known antisemitic tropes' after he acknowledged Jewish lobbying power in American politics during a LBC radio show.
Three years later, the same organisation denounced Farage for trading in 'dog whistles and tropes' after he repeatedly deployed language associated with far-right conspiracy theories. During this period, Farage frequently targeted figures like George Soros and referenced 'globalists' and 'cultural Marxists' - terms widely recognised as coded antisemitic language.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in Britain, specifically criticised Farage for using 'language that evokes antisemitic conspiracy codewords' in a 2020 Newsweek article where he attacked 'unelected globalists' and 'big banks'.
International Connections and Wider Concerns
Farage's associations with controversial American figures have raised additional alarm bells. He has appeared alongside Infowars founder Alex Jones, known for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories about the Bilderberg group and 'new world order'. Farage has also granted at least six interviews to far-right pastor Rick Wiles, who later described Donald Trump's impeachment as a 'Jew coup'.
These connections point to a broader concerning trend identified by security experts. According to CST policy director Dave Rich, while violent jihadism remains the most immediate threat to British Jews, a long-term danger is emerging from shifts within the American right.
Figures like white supremacist Nick Fuentes and commentator Tucker Carlson are increasingly promoting an aggressive Christian nationalism that shows hostility toward Israel and Zionism. This represents a significant departure from traditional conservative support for 'Judeo-Christian values' and echoes 1930s-style isolationist conspiracy theories about Jewish influence.
The timing of these school allegations and their connection to Farage's current political positioning suggests that the past may be more relevant to Britain's political future than the Reform leader would like to admit. With Farage potentially heading for Downing Street, questions about his relationship with antisemitic rhetoric take on renewed significance for Britain's Jewish community and the health of political discourse nationwide.
