Nigel Farage’s shifting answers on school-days racism claims – a timeline | Nigel Farage

September 19, 2013Michael Crick questions Farage

After Channel 4 reporter Michael Crick uncovered a letter written by a teacher about Farage while he was in Dulwich in June 1981, referring to him as a “racist” and a “fascist” or “neo-fascist” Crick tracked down Farage.

Farage said: “Of course I said some ridiculous things that upset them.” Crick asked him if these were “racist things.” Farage replied: “It doesn’t have to be racist stuff. It depends on how you define it.”

Crick pressed Farage on the letter’s accusation that he mocked someone in class and was expelled, suggesting the taunts were racially motivated. Farage said: “I have been excluded from class dozens of times over the years.” He said he did not accept that it was intended as a racist comment.

May 14, 2019Response to anonymous Independent letter

The Independent published an anonymous letter By an old school friend of Farage. The letter writer, who later identified himself as Jean-Pierre Lihou, wrote that he vividly remembered Farage’s interest in the initials NF and the symbol of the National Front. He said he remembered Farage singing “Gas ’em up”, shouting “Send ’em home” and talking about Oswald Mosley.

Farage did not respond directly to the allegations.

He said: “To say this is treading old ground is an understatement. “My time at Dulwich was very politically charged with the rise of Thatcherism and the Brixton riots just down the road.

“There were a lot of people at the time who were influenced by extremist groups on both sides of the debate.”

He added: “Whoever sent you this must be some way off saying I supported Oswald Mosley because he believed in a United States of Europe. Some people need to get over Brexit.”

November 2021Crick’s biography of Farage

Crick returned to the subject of Farage with a biography called One Party After Another (disclosure: this reporter served as a researcher on the book). Crick had new details about Farage’s school days; contemporaries made allegations of racist and anti-Semitic language and abuse. Others said they had never heard him say anything racist or derogatory.

Farage told Crick in an email: “Let’s get something straight. I joined the Conservative party in 1978 and thought all far right parties/movements were ridiculous/bad/dangerous. There were some hard left class masters of 1968.” [who] We attended college and most of us enjoyed finishing them.

“The terms of abuse that were put forward among fifteen-year-old boys were unlimited; there were no limits. I think the red-headed boys were particularly bad.”

October 16, 2025First letter from a lawyer from Reform UK

Adam Richardson, lawyer for Reform UK, responded when Farage was approached by the Guardian for comment on new allegations from contemporaries of racist and anti-Semitic language and abuse.

The denial was emphatic. Richardson called the allegations “completely unfounded.”

Richardson said: “Any allegation that Mr Farage engaged in, condoned or led racist or anti-Semitic behavior is categorically rejected.”

27 October 2025second letter

Richardson responded again after the Guardian asked Farage to comment on the statements and concerns of his contemporaries. Richardson said Farage “did not intend to respond to obviously ridiculous reminiscences from the 40 years since Mr Farage became a political figure because they were not credible and were conjecture.”

He added: “However, if the Guardian publishes any allegations suggesting that Mr Farage engaged in, condoned or encouraged racist or antisemitic behavior, or that such allegations relate to his current character, you can expect immediate litigation. These actions will seek injunctive relief, a public retraction and the payment of the maximum permissible damages, including aggravated damages for malicious publication.”

November 10, 2025third letter

The Guardian noted the change in Farage’s response compared to his comments in 2013 and 2019 and asked Richardson why Farage was now claiming allegations about racism and antisemitism were “completely false”.

Richardson reiterated: “Allegations that Mr Farage has engaged in racist or anti-Semitic behavior are completely unfounded, defamatory and malicious.”

November 11, 2025“These allegations are completely unfounded”

Commenting, a spokesperson for Reform UK said: “These allegations are completely unfounded. The Guardian has provided no current records or supporting evidence to support these disputed memoirs from nearly 50 years ago.”

“It is no coincidence that this newspaper is trying to discredit Reformation England, which has led in more than 150 consecutive opinion polls and is the favorite among leading bookmakers to become the next prime minister.

“We fully expect these cynical attempts to tarnish Reformation and mislead the public, becoming more intense as we get closer to the next election.”

19 November 2025“One person’s word against another”

Following the session, in which the Prime Minister’s questions were asked and Keir Starmer urged Farage to explain himself in light of the Guardian’s reporting, Farage’s spokesman was questioned by journalists.

The spokesman said: “Our statement was very clear that these allegations date back 45 years. And I think at any time, when Nigel was leader of Ukip, in the 2010 general election, in the 2015 general election, during Brexit, perhaps in the 2019 general election, you asked yourself why hasn’t this been raised before?”

So when asked whether Farage believed those making the allegations were making them up, the spokesman said: “I say there is no primary evidence. It’s a remark made by one person against another.”

Twenty people spoke to the Guardian and claimed he had a racist past.

24 November 2025“I never went directly and tried to hurt anyone.”

In an interview with ITV News, Farage’s response varied from direct denials from his spokespeople.

When asked if he had ever racially abused other students at school, he replied: “No, 49 years ago, by the way, 49 years ago. Have I ever tried to take it out on anyone based on where they came from? No.”

The interviewer accused him of not providing his answer and asked him again if he had categorically denied the allegations.

Farage responded: “I would never do this in a hurtful or derogatory way.” “It was 49 years ago. It was 49 years ago. I had just hit puberty. Can I remember everything that happened in school? No, I can’t. Have I ever been part of an extremist organization or been involved in direct, unpleasant, personal abuse, actual abuse on that basis? No.”

Asked if he had ever racially abused anyone, Farage replied: “No, it wasn’t intentional.”

When the interviewer told Farage he didn’t understand what he meant by “not on purpose”, the Reform leader replied: “You wouldn’t understand.”

Farage added: “No. I’ve never directly, actually tried to go and hurt anyone.”