Allegations about Nigel Farage’s behaviour as a schoolboy have resurfaced with unusual force, drawing senior figures in the UK government into the debate. The attorney general, Richard Hermer, one of the most prominent Jewish ministers, publicly urged Farage to apologise to former classmates. Who had claimed Farafe directed racist and antisemitic abuse at them during their years at Dulwich College.
More than twenty former pupils now describe patterns of harassment between Farage’s early teens and late adolescence. Testimonies include repeated taunts about Hitler, references to gas chambers. Other encounters involve minority ethnic pupils, who were mocked about their origins and told to “go back” to wherever they came from. Farage maintains that the accusations are false, though his explanations have shifted. Categorical denials in legal correspondence later gave way to comments about “playground banter” seen differently through “a modern light.”
Hermer argues that Farage’s changing narrative strains credibility and highlights the absence of any clear condemnation of antisemitism in his responses. He warns that such evasiveness undermines Farage’s claim to serious national leadership, particularly amid rising concerns within the British Jewish community after recent antisemitic violence.
Senior Labour figures joined the critique. Keir Starmer labelled Farage “spineless”, and Rachel Reeves noted the careful, evasive tone of his public comments, arguing that a genuine leader would address the allegations directly. Critics also cite Farage’s reluctance to discipline colleagues for racially charged remarks, reinforcing concerns about Reform UK’s posture on race.
As the political pressure grows, the question hanging over Farage is not only what he did as a teenager, but what his present-day responses reveal about his judgement, values and fitness to lead.
Reference
Crerar, P. (2025b, December 2). Attorney general urges Nigel Farage to apologise over alleged racism and antisemitism. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/01/attorney-general-urges-nigel-farage-to-apologise-to-classmates-over-alleged-racism-and-antisemitism?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other