Nigel Farage ought to ‘do right thing’ and apologise over alleged schoolboy racism, David Lammy says
The Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy claimed the allegations against the Reform UK leader were ‘deeply troubling’, and shared his own experiences of racism at school.
Nigel Farage should do the “right thing” and apologise for alleged racist comments he made as a schoolboy, David Lammy has claimed.
The Deputy Prime Minister claimed the allegations against the Reform UK leader were “deeply troubling”, and shared his own experiences of racism at school.
It comes after around 20 people claimed they were either victims of or witnessed the Reform UK leader’s offensive behaviour when he was aged 13 to 18.
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Speaking on Times Radio, Mr Lammy said: “I was at school at the same time as Nigel Farage, late 70s, early 80s, and I’ve had a few former classmates contact me and apologise for some of the racial abuse that I suffered in that particular era. He should do the same.
“That kind of treatment in teenage years is actually quite traumatic, very isolating. Reading those stories is deeply, deeply troubling. He’s now the leader of a political party. He should do the right thing and apologise.”
Mr Farage has dismissed the claims, from decades ago – and insisted he would never racially abuse people in a “hurtful or insulting way”. Reform UK has categorically denied the claims and claimed the allegations are part of a smear campaign against the party leader.
More than a dozen former classmates from Mr Farage’s time at Dulwich College, in south London, alleged that Mr Farage made pro-Hitler comments, joked about gas chambers, and put someone in detention for the colour of their skin.
Award winning director and producer Peter Ettedgui, who was 13 at the time, told The Guardian last month that the Reform leader would tell him “Hitler was right”, or “Gas them” before adding a hiss to replicate the sound of the gas chambers.
Another former pupil, who was not named, described being in a youth organisation called the CCF, during which they claimed Farage had taught songs about gassing Jews.
Patrick Neylan, 61, an editor, who was in the year below Farage, also recalled the singing of the “gas ’em” song on CCF camps. Tim France, 61, was in the same year as Mr Farage and claimed he would “regularly” perform the Nazi “Seig heil” salute.
Mr Farage was also urged to apologise on Monday by the UK’s top lawyer.
Richard Hermer, the Attorney General, who is Jewish, said Mr Farage’s alleged comments had “clearly deeply hurt” people.
He said: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible. Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions put to him, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism.
“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs to address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour.
“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”
Last month, Keir Starmer accused Mr Farage of being “spineless” when it comes to dealing with racism. And last week, the PM said Mr Farage should apologise following accusations of racism at his top private school.
