Holocaust survivors name on Nigel Farage to apologise over racism row

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has dismissed claims about his behaviour while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, a top private school in London, as ‘banter’

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Everything you need to know as Nigel Farage urged by Holocaust survivors to say sorry

• Holocaust survivors have called on Nigel Farage to apologise over allegations of racism and antisemitism.
• The Reform UK leader has dismissed claims about his behaviour while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, a top private school in London, as “banter”. He sought to suggest broadcasters asking questions about the allegations were displaying double standards, because their outlets had in the past aired programmes which would now be considered racist.
• But the 11 signatories, some of whom have survived death camps, have written a letter saying they “understand the danger of hateful words”. They wrote: “Let us be clear: praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter. So we ask you, did you say ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them’, mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to antisemitic abuse? Are you saying that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? Now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong, and apologise.”
• The Holocaust survivors who signed the letter include Hedi Argent MBE, who lost 27 relatives, and Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto.
• Mr Farage’s former classmate Peter Ettedgui is among those who have accused the politician of making racist remarks to him during their school days. Mr Ettedgui, who is Jewish, has claimed that Mr Farage “repeatedly” approached him and said “Hitler was right”, while they were pupils at the school.