Nigel Farage's Evolving Position on School Racism Claims
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finds himself at the centre of a growing controversy surrounding allegations of racist and antisemitic behaviour during his time at Dulwich College, with his responses shifting significantly over more than a decade of scrutiny.
The Timeline of Responses
September 2013: The first public questioning came from Channel 4 reporter Michael Crick, who revealed a June 1981 letter written by a teacher describing Farage as "racist" and "fascist" or "neo-fascist." When confronted, Farage admitted saying "some ridiculous things" but denied they were necessarily racist, stating: "It depends how you define it."
May 2019: The Independent published an anonymous letter from former school friend Jean-Pierre Lihou, who recalled Farage singing "Gas 'em all," shouting "Send em home," and discussing Oswald Mosley. Farage dismissed this as "going over old ground" and suggested the accuser needed to "get over Brexit."
November 2021: In Michael Crick's biography, Farage claimed he "thought all of the far right parties/movements to be ludicrous/barmy/dangerous" and described his behaviour as "winding up" left-wing teachers, acknowledging that "terms of abuse thrown around between fifteen-year-old boys were limitless."
Escalating Denials and Legal Threats
October 2025: The situation intensified when Reform UK's barrister Adam Richardson issued emphatic denials, describing allegations as "wholly untrue" and threatening legal action against the Guardian if they published claims suggesting Farage "engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour."
November 2025: A Reform UK spokesperson questioned why these allegations hadn't surfaced during previous election campaigns and described the situation as "one person's word against another," despite twenty people having spoken to the Guardian about Farage's alleged racist past.
The Critical ITV Interview
24th November 2025: In a significant departure from previous denials, Farage told ITV News he had never racially abused anyone "with intent" and claimed he couldn't remember everything from "49 years ago." When pressed to clarify what he meant by "not with intent," Farage responded cryptically: "You wouldn't," before adding "I have never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody."
The Reform leader's shifting responses have drawn criticism from political opponents, including Labour leader Keir Starmer, who has called on Farage to explain himself publicly. With Farage now considered a potential future prime minister by some bookmakers, these historical allegations continue to cast a shadow over his political career.
