Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticises Reform leader Nigel Farage over racist remarks

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticises Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for refusing to apologise over alleged racist remarks at school.

As reported by The Guardian, Kemi Badenoch asked why Nigel Farage has not apologised for alleged racist and antisemitic comments, citing testimony from over 20 former classmates.

What did Kemi Badenoch say about Nigel Farage’s school racism allegations?

Kemi Badenoch criticised Nigel Farage for not admitting wrongdoing, saying offering an apology would have been her first instinct.

She said the Reform UK leader’s lack of apology reflected that he “doesn’t care” about past harm.

The Tory leader said Mr Farage “never said anything racist” to her, but the many Dulwich allegations made his refusal to apologise “somewhat strange.”

Ms Badenoch stated,

“A lot of people are coming out saying he did say those things. He should just apologise. If he just said: ‘You know, I was a kid, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It was wrong. People shouldn’t speak like that,’ this would all have gone away.”

She added,

“And that’s the problem. It’s not that he’s racist, that he doesn’t care. And actually, I think as a serious politician, if you want to run the country, you should care about how the words you say impact people.”

The Conservative leader highlighted that around 20 ex-schoolmates had spoken out, noting it was not just one or two but “a lot of people.”

Ms Badenoch said,

“Whether he remembers or not, he didn’t deny it. He said, well, actually, he wasn’t trying to hurt people. Nigel’s a big boy. He should just stand up, put on his big boy pants, and just say: ‘Do you know what? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.’ The fact that he doesn’t want to do that is a bit strange to me. That’s what I would have done.”

What did Sir Keir Starmer say about Nigel Farage’s alleged racist past?

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Nigel Farage’s denial of alleged racist behaviour in his youth as “unconvincing” and pressed him to apologise.

The Prime Minister 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 Labour leader 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.”

How did Nigel Farage respond to allegations of racism and antisemitism?

Nigel Farage and his spokespersons denied any malicious intent, suggesting that former classmates’ memories of events may be politically motivated.

He insisted that his potentially offensive comments were “never with malice,” adding,

“I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.”

Mr Farage added,

“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.”

The party’s legal team has “categorically denied” that Mr Farage had

“ever engaged in, condoned or led racist or antisemitic behaviour.”

What did former Dulwich classmates say about Nigel Farage’s alleged racist remarks?

Over the past few weeks, Nigel Farage has faced pressure to apologise for alleged racist comments at Dulwich College. Former classmate Jean-Pierre Lihou said Farage chanted “Oswald Mosley,” made racist remarks about Germans, and wore an army kit to provoke.

One of his ex-schoolmates, Peter Ettedgui, stated that the Reform leader sidled up to him and growled, “Hitler was right” and “Gas them,” even simulating the sound of gas showers.

Another former classmate, Martin Rosell, said Nigel Farage made under-the-breath comments like “Jew” directed at Peter Ettedgui and others, which were noticed by multiple classmates.

Yinka Bankole, another schoolmate, recalled that Mr Farage told him, “That’s the way back to Africa,” when he was new at Dulwich College.