The outgoing head of Britain's equalities watchdog has called on Nigel Farage to issue an unreserved apology to individuals who allege he targeted them with racist or antisemitic behaviour during their school years.
Watchdog's Call for an Apology
Kishwer Falkner, the crossbench peer who has just completed a five-year term as chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), stated that the Reform UK leader should apologise even if he rejects the assertion that his actions were deliberately racist. She argued he could still express regret to those who say they were deeply hurt by his conduct.
A total of 28 former contemporaries of Farage at Dulwich College have come forward to The Guardian, claiming they either experienced or witnessed such behaviour when he was a teenager. Among the accusers is Peter Ettedgui, 61, who is Jewish. He alleges that Farage repeatedly told him "Hitler was right" or said "gas them" towards him during their time at school.
Another former pupil, Yinka Bankole, recently stated that a then 17-year-old Farage told him, "That's the way back to Africa," when he was younger and new to the school.
Farage's Response and Political Reaction
Farage and his spokespeople have dismissed the allegations, suggesting that those making the claims have misremembered events due to the passage of time or are targeting him for political reasons. He has consistently denied making any malicious comments.
At a press conference last Thursday, Farage reacted with anger when broadcasters questioned him about the claims. He accused the BBC and ITV of hypocrisy, citing shows they broadcast in the 1970s and 1980s that contained racist and homophobic content.
When asked about Farage's comments by Sky News, Kishwer Falkner said she felt "quite confused and disturbed." She acknowledged the difficulty of contextualising behaviour from decades ago but questioned his refusal to apologise.
"The one thing that sadly confuses me about him, and I hear his contextualisation of it all: why can't he just offer an unreserved apology for any distress?" Falkner said. "I just don't get it. It seems to me that that would be the most genuine thing to say, if he is genuinely not a racist."
In previous responses, Farage has said he is happy to apologise if he caused any offence, but insisted that while he might have said offensive things, it was "never with malice."
Growing Political Pressure
The political pressure on Farage to address the allegations directly is mounting. Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Conservative work and pensions spokesperson Helen Whately said Farage needed to be "straight with the public" on the issue.
"There are some very serious accusations about things that he has said and done on the question of racism," Whately stated. "And he needs to give people a straight answer."
The controversy continues to overshadow Farage's political campaigning, raising persistent questions about his past conduct and his current stance on issues of race and equality as he seeks to expand Reform UK's influence.
