Nigel Farage accused of ‘persistent’ racial abuse by ex-schoolmate who rejects claims it was ‘banter’
Nigel Farage has been accused of “persistent” racist abuse by a school contemporary who dismissed the Reform UK leader’s claim it was a “joke”.
Peter Ettedgui, whose Jewish grandparents fled Nazi Germany, claimed that when the pair attended Dulwich College in the late 1970s, Mr Farage grumbled “Hitler was right”, hissed “gas them” and told him to “go to the gas chambers”.
He is among more than a dozen former students of the south London school who have accused Mr Farage of making anti-Semitic and racist remarks in allegations first reported in 2014. Guard.
The Reform UK leader appeared to leave open the possibility that he may have made “unintentional” racist remarks in his first interview since the allegations were published, telling ITV on Monday: “I would never do this in a hurtful or derogatory way.” He also admitted to “joking around on the playground.”
But in a prepared statement on Tuesday, Mr Farage “categorically” denied making such comments and suggested the allegations were politically motivated.
Mr Ettedgui, a Bafta-winning film director, is now said Times It is “no surprise” that the reform leader has denied the allegations.
He told the newspaper: “This is no surprise, he has denied any racist behavior since 2013.
“Last week a Reform spokesman not only denied this, he said: Guard He was trying to denigrate her, but perhaps yesterday had actually felt like a small step forward. At one point, he admitted that ‘I probably misspoke when I was a kid’ and then said it was just a joke.
“And then there was the thing, it was the 1970s and it was a different era. I certainly never experienced anything before or after that remotely resembled what he told me.”
“So it wasn’t a joke, the joke was calling someone a** – that was different, it was persistent. We shared a classroom in year 3R and sat in alphabetical order, 30-odd kids, I was right next to him.”
But Mr Farage insisted he never engaged in “direct, unpleasant, personal abuse” during his time as a student at a top private school.
“I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that were published in the magazine. Guard “He was 13 years old, about 50 years ago,” he said.
“Isn’t it interesting: having been in public life for 32 years, I am probably the most scrutinized person in British politics.
“Many books and thousands of stories have been written about me, but only now that my party is ahead in the polls are these allegations coming to light. I leave it to the public to draw their own conclusions as to why this might be.”
“We know this Guard He wants to denigrate anyone who talks about immigration. But the truth is that, from the day I took on the BNP, I have done more in my career to defeat extremism and far-right politics than anyone else in the UK.”
Speaking to ITV on Monday night, the Reform leader was asked about allegations of deeply offensive behavior throughout his teenage years.
“That’s 49 years ago, by the way. Forty-nine years ago. Have I ever tried to take that pain out on anyone based on where they came from? No.”
Asked to categorically deny engaging in racist abuse, Mr Farage said: “I would never do it in a hurtful or derogatory way.”
While questions about the allegations continued to be asked, he responded: “I just entered puberty. Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t.”
“Have I ever been part of an extremist organization or participated in direct, unpleasant, personal harassment, actual harassment on that basis? No.”
Asked whether he had been involved in racist abuse at school, Mr Farage said: “Not deliberately.”
When asked to elaborate, he replied: “No, I never directly, actually tried to go and hurt anyone.”
Mr Farage added: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as playground banter, which you could somehow interpret in today’s modern light? Yes.”
Asked if this meant he had abused people, Mr Farage said: “I have never been directly racially abusive towards anyone. No.”
Mr Farage’s spokesman said: Independent The reform leader will not comment further.
