Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has launched a fierce attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, demanding he provide an immediate explanation for alleged racist and antisemitic comments he made during his school days.
Allegations from School Days Surface
The political clash erupted after The Guardian newspaper published a report on Tuesday containing accounts from contemporaries of Mr Farage during his time at Dulwich College, an independent school. The report alleged that the Reform UK leader used racist and antisemitic language as a student.
Speaking to reporters on the plane to the G20 summit in South Africa on Friday, Sir Keir stated that Mr Farage needed to "explain the comments, or alleged comments, that were made, and he needs to do that as soon as possible."
'Spineless' Leadership Accusation
The Prime Minister did not stop at the school allegations. He also directly criticised Mr Farage's leadership concerning his MP, Sarah Pochin. Last month, Ms Pochin stated that it "drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people," which she claimed did not "reflect our society." She later apologised for these remarks.
While Mr Farage told reporters he was "unhappy" about what he called "ugly" comments, he asserted they were not "racist." Sir Keir Starmer vehemently disagreed, labelling them "clearly racist" and accusing the Reform UK leader of a failure of leadership.
"The man is spineless," Sir Keir told reporters. "If that had been someone in my party, I'd have dealt with it straight away. He needs to explain the latest allegations, and whilst he's at it, he needs to explain why he's too spineless to take action in relation to what is obvious racism in the comments of his fellow MP."
Denials and Counter-Accusations
In response to the growing controversy, a spokesperson for Nigel Farage and Reform UK has denied the school allegations, calling them "clearly without foundation." Mr Farage himself has repeatedly denied the claims.
A source from Reform UK hit back at the Prime Minister, suggesting he was "desperate, sinking in the polls and lashing out." Mr Farage issued a statement saying, "For the weakest prime minister in living memory to call me spineless is utterly ludicrous." He concluded by noting that voters would have their say on both leaders at the ballot box next May.
The confrontation sets a sharp tone for the political landscape as both leaders prepare for future electoral battles, with accusations of racism and leadership failures taking centre stage.
