UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calls on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to apologise over claims of racial abuse at school, which Mr Farage denies.
As reported by the Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer demands Nigel Farage apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them at Dulwich College.
Last week, reports showed Peter Ettedgui said 13-year-old Farage told him, “Hitler was right,” and mimicked gas chamber sounds.
What did Keir Starmer say about Nigel Farage’s school racism claims?
During the Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Keir Starmer said,
“[Farage’s] explanation in recent days in relation to the stories about what he may have said in the past is unconvincing to say the least.”
He stated,
“He says he never engaged with racism with intent. ‘With intent’. What does that mean? ‘Didn’t engage in racism with intent.’ I have no doubt that if a young Jewish student was hissed at to mimic the sound of a gas chamber, they would find it upsetting.”
The prime minister added,
“He may want to forget that. They won’t. He clearly remembers some of what happened. He should seek those people out and go and apologise to them.”
Mr Starmer said Reform leader “clearly remembers some of what happened” and is revealing his “true colours.”
At PMQs, the Labour leader responded to Labour MP Luke Akehurst on allegations that Reform-led Durham Council cut support, leaving families £170 worse off.
Mr Starmer said,
“The more we see of Reform, the more we see their true colours, in this case making people £170 worse off.”
He stated,
“But their true colours also in relation to the Member for Clacton (Mr Farage). His explanation in recent days, in relation to the stories about what he may have said in the past, is unconvincing to say the least.”
The prime minister added,
“He says he never engaged with racism ‘with intent’. ‘With intent’, what does that mean? Didn’t engage with racism ‘with intent’. I have no doubt that if a young Jewish student was hissed at to mimic the sound of a gas chamber, they would find it upsetting. He may want to forget that. They won’t. He clearly remembers some of what happened. He should seek those people out and go and apologise to them.”
On Tuesday, 25 November, Mr Ettedgui, Mr Farage’s former classmate, told the BBC he was “fundamentally dishonest” in denying the claims.
Mr Ettedgui, a Jewish former pupil, alleged that the Reform UK leader approached him at Dulwich, saying, “Hitler was right.”
What did Lord Mann say about Nigel Farage’s alleged racism?
Labour peer Lord Mann, the independent adviser to the Government on antisemitism, stated,
“Nigel Farage’s appalling attempt to shrug off serious allegations of antisemitism and other appalling forms of racism as playground banter is as insulting as it is unbelievable.”
He said,
“Farage needs to do the decent thing and come clean with the British public about the full extent of his past behaviour and apologise to those who have bravely come forward to share their deeply upsetting and disturbing experiences.”
Lord Mann added,
“The British people expect all their party leaders to act with integrity and humility and are unforgiving of those who choose not to. Nigel Farage must confront the seriousness of this situation and apologise in person.”
What did Sir Ed Davey and Keir Starmer say about Russian bribery in Reform?
Sir Keir Starmer told MPs at PMQs that the Reform Party is “saturated with pro-Putin propaganda.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was “shocked” that former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill was jailed for 10 years over a £40,000 payment to promote pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.
Mr Davey stated,
“The Prime Minister said that Reform should hold an independent investigation, and he is right, but we both know that that’s not going to happen.”
He asked,
“So given Reform won’t, he must. So will he now launch a national investigation into Russian infiltration into our politics?”
In response, the prime minister said,
“He’s right to highlight this very serious case, a long sentence for pro-Russian bribery in the Reform party at the highest level.”
Mr Starmer added,
“You would think a leader of a political party would want to get to the bottom of that and ask the question, how on earth did that happen in the Reform party, and what other links are there between Reform and Russia?”
He continued,
“But no, the leader of Reform doesn’t want to do it, because we know he doesn’t want to know the answer to the question, because Reform is riddled with pro-Putin propaganda.”
How did Nigel Farage respond to school racism and pro-Russia claims?
Earlier this week, broadcasters pressed Nigel Farage on whether he had engaged in racial abuse at school.
He said, “I would never do it in a hurtful or insulting way,” adding that any such actions were “not with intent.”
The Reform leader added that what was once “playground banter” might be seen differently today.
He released a statement on Tuesday, saying,
“I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published in the Guardian aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”
What did the data show about rising race and religious hate crimes?
The data shows a 6% rise in race-related hate crimes in the year to March 2025, while religious hate crimes targeting Muslims increased by 19%, with spikes following the Southport murders and summer 2024 disorder.
The recent figures reveal that only about one-third of nearly 600 recommendations from 12 major race inequality reports since 1981 have been fully implemented.
