Farage urged to apologise by ex-schoolmates in letter amid racism allegations
A group of former schoolmates of Nigel Farage has for the first time come together to call on the Reform UK leader to apologise amid allegations of racism in his youth.
Some 25 former pupils and one ex-teacher at Dulwich College have signed an open letter to Mr Farage, which also calls on him to make it clear he has renounced what they allege are “racist, antisemitic and fascist views”, and to recognise the events they say took place.
The Reform leader has insisted he never made racist remarks in a “malicious or nasty way”, following the reports of the allegations levelled against him.
Mr Farage has sought to counter the claims by suggesting he has received letters of support from other classmates denying the allegations.
He also accused broadcasters who asked him questions about the reports of double standards, as at the time he attended the south London school from the mid-1970s they aired programmes which would now be considered racist.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice has meanwhile described the allegations as “made-up twaddle”, while the party has suggested they are politically motivated attacks.
In a letter first published on Wednesday by The Guardian, and seen by the Press Association, the signatories said it is “false” to suggest their allegations are politically motivated, as they “represent a broad swathe of professional backgrounds and political opinions”.
They added: “Most of us have had no contact since we left Dulwich. Until writing this letter, we have not acted as a group. We have neither plotted nor conspired. All we have in common is that we either directly experienced or witnessed your racist and antisemitic behaviour.”
The signatories also said it was “not true” they had only come forward since Reform began leading in the polls, pointing to previous reporting from as far back as 2013 in which similar allegations were made.
The group also countered Mr Farage’s suggestions “that the kind of language we recall you saying was typical of the cultural climate of Britain at the time”.
While they said there was “some truth to this”, they added: “However, these personalities did not make direct or personal remarks. They did not intimidate Jewish boys with references to perishing in gas chambers, as you did.
“They did not order a Black child of nine to ten years of age to go back to Africa, as you did. They did not chant vile racist ditties, as you did. Your behaviour was exceptional, even for those times.”
Their letter concluded: “While we agree that no-one should be judged in later life on the basis of what they have said or done in their youth, those seeking high office need to own their past and demonstrate honesty.”
Among the signatories are the filmmaker Peter Ettedgui, and Nick Gordon Brown, whose allegations were first reported by The Guardian in November.
One signatory, Martin Rosell, appears to be politically active, as a campaigner with the Liberal Democrats in Salisbury.
The majority of the signatories, 20, are named, while five former pupils and one teacher are not.
Mr Ettedgui told PA: “I suspect Reform will say this letter is evidence that we are somehow plotting together. So for the record, I can confirm that this is the very first time that a group of us has come together to refute the dishonest denials of Farage and his party.”
The group thought it was time to respond collectively because of the varied responses given by Mr Farage and Reform, he added.
Asked how he felt about the prospect of Mr Farage entering power, Mr Ettedgui told PA: “Would you want your school bully, someone who said awful, racist things to you, to be your prime minister?”
A Reform spokesman said: “These latest attacks are a naked attempt to discredit Reform and Nigel Farage.
“Instead of debating Reform on the substance of our ideas and policies, the left-wing media and deeply unpopular Labour Party are now using 50-year-old smears in a last act of desperation.
“The British public see right through this witch hunt.”
Letter in full
Here is the full text of the letter:
Dear Nigel Farage,
We are 26 of the former students (and teaching staff) at Dulwich College who have recently shared our memories of your racist and antisemitic behaviour at school from 1975 to 1982.
We have recalled the verbal abuse you regularly directed at a number of pupils of Jewish, Black and Asian heritage; as well as loudly and proudly proclaiming your high regard for Fascist leaders and organisations, from Hitler to Mosley, from the Nazis to the National Front.
However, your response to our testimony has been in some respects more serious than the original offences.
You continue to deny responsibility for the many incidents we have described and refuse to show contrition. As a result, we feel compelled to write this collective response to the various denials that you and members of your Reform party have issued.
“Have I ever… engaged in direct, unpleasant, personal abuse, genuine abuse? No.” you stated after the first reports featuring our testimony were published.
Your deputy Richard Tice was even less nuanced when he claimed our testimony was “made up twaddle”.
However, the fact remains that the 28 former pupils who have shared their memories truthfully were either personally on the receiving end of your abusive behaviour, or personally witnessed it.
You have questioned the reliability of memory: “Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t.” Perhaps. But abusive and hurtful memories stick, and we have never forgotten.
Each of us has separately given similar and consistent accounts of you at Dulwich.
These memories paint a vivid and undeniable picture of you.
Your spokesperson has characterised our testimony as a politically-motivated campaign orchestrated by The Guardian, “designed to smear Reform and mislead the public”.
This challenges the truthfulness of the accounts we have shared (not just with The Guardian, but also with The Times, The Observer, The New Statesman, The i Paper, BBC News, ITV News, Sky News, LBC and Good Morning Britain).
However, journalists we have spoken to have been scrupulous in verifying our identities while also ensuring our individual memories are corroborated.
The accusation that we are politically motivated is false. We represent a broad swathe of professional backgrounds and political opinions. Most of us have had no contact since we left Dulwich.
Until writing this letter, we have not acted as a group. We have neither plotted nor conspired. All we have in common is that we either directly experienced or witnessed your racist and antisemitic behaviour.
It has also been alleged that we have only come forward now that Reform is leading in the polls. This is not true. You must know this is not the first time a number of us have contributed individually to accounts of you at Dulwich.
Examples include a 2013 Channel 4 News bulletin; a 2016 report in El Pais titled ‘Hitler was Right’; an open letter published in The Independent in 2019; and a 2022 biography of you by Michael Crick.
Seeking to minimise our testimony, you have characterised yourself as a child and your behaviour as “playground arguments or banter”. However, as our accounts attest, your racist and antisemitic verbal abuse continued unabated from the age of about 13 to about 18.
This is not the odd youthful indiscretion but a pattern of behaviour over several years until you reached adulthood. Nor was it limited to the playground.
Our testimony places you in a wide variety of settings around Dulwich: waiting for your victims at the school gates or outside Jewish Assembly; in classrooms and dining areas; on school buses and during school trips.
The suggestion that this was all in the spirit of banter is misleading – banter is something that happens between friends.
Likewise, your statements in which you have claimed “I have never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody,” or that offensive things were uttered but “never with malice” are false. Your abuse was deliberately targeted at Jews and pupils of colour.
Many of us vividly recall the contempt and venom you directed at your victims.
You have implied that the kind of language we recall you saying was typical of the cultural climate of Britain at the time. There is some truth in this. You cited Bernard Manning and the character of Alf Garnett as examples.
However, these personalities did not make direct or personal remarks. They did not intimidate Jewish boys with references to perishing in gas chambers, as you did.
They did not order a Black child of nine to 10 years of age to go back to Africa, as you did. They did not chant vile racist ditties, as you did. Your behaviour was exceptional, even for those times.
While we agree that no-one should be judged in later life on the basis of what they have said or done in their youth, those seeking high office need to own their past and demonstrate honesty.
Your denials have caused dismay and anger, and compelled us to come forward.
None of us has taken lightly the decision to speak up.
It has been deeply troubling to revisit our memories, let alone to share them with journalists and the broader public.
However, what disturbs us is less what happened years ago, hurtful as it was, but rather your refusal to acknowledge your past behaviour or apologise for it.
We call on you now to:
– recognise that these events happened;
– apologise for them;
– make it clear you have renounced the racist, antisemitic and fascist views you expressed at Dulwich.
Signed (in alphabetical order, by first name)
Dr Andrew Field (1976-84)
Bill Wood (1976-84)
Chris Jacob (1977-82)
David Edmonds (1973-82)
Graham Noble (1974-82)
Jean-Pierre Lihou (1977-82)
Jez Nelson (1975-80)
Luke Gray (1977-81)
Mark Bridges (1974-82)
Mark Haward (1976-82)
Christopher Kibble (1975-82)
Martin Rosell (1977-80)
Nick Cannon (1973-82)
Nick Gordon Brown (1975-82)
Peter Ettedgui (1977-82)
Rickard Berg (1976-82)
Richard Flowers (1975-82)
Stefan Benarroch (1979-83)
Tim France (1973-82)
Yinka Bankole (1980-81)
Former Pupil (1975-82)
Former Pupil (1977-82)
Former Pupil (1977-83)
Former Asian Pupil (1977-85)
Former Pupil (1979-84)
Former Teacher (1979-85)
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No comment Rev, I suspect you could enlighten all of us if you chose to…regarding this ‘bad boy’…
I think the Rev you may be referring to has passed away.
I don’t believe so Fanny, we keep in touch, we would have heard…
And while we’re at it, let’s have a good look at that tax evasion house purchase.
What, you mean the one where he said he did buy it then turned out to be a fib because his girlfriend bought it and reportedly not in a position to have the funds for it but saved nige 40k and she is under investigation for financial irregularities by the EU?
That’s the one.
His backer in the US, Trump and Co. they do not do apologies, and it seems to sit well with farage anyway, he has form. If he apologises, where will all his racist supporters go? If he apologises then many in reform will have to apologise for their comments.
you’ve hit the nail on the head there Jeff. Apologies aint in their vocabulary
Unlikely to apologise, condemn or resign. By condoning this behaviour he is endorsing racist, antisemitic and horrible despicable bullying as acceptable. What a nasty character he is and a horrendous role model. Coming off the back of the nasty terrorist incident in Australia, this past behaviour needs to be questioned by our useless mass media.
Apologising takes dignity, integrity and a respect for others. Reform have none of these attributes.