Farage says he's 'never directly racially abused anybody' after school racism claims

"A Guardian investigation spoke to contemporaries at Dulwich College who alleged Farage made racist and antisemitic remarks to them, which a spokesperson denied. Speaking directly to a journalist about the allegations for the first time, Farage, 61, was pressed on what he meant by "directly" and replied: "By taking it out on an individual on the basis of who they are or what they are.""

"When asked about the claims, Farage responded: "Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground, that you can interpret in the modern light of day in some sort of way? Yes." He added: "I've never directly racially abused anybody. No." Pointing towards "political disagreements" with some of his school peers, Farage also denied having "ever been part of an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant personal abuse, genuine abuse, on that basis"."

Twenty former schoolmates complained that Nigel Farage made racist and antisemitic remarks while at Dulwich College. Contemporaries alleged jokes about gas chambers and that Farage, as a prefect, put a pupil in detention because of their skin colour. Farage denied the allegations and said he had "never directly racially abused anybody", characterising some past remarks as playground banter from fifty years ago. He refused to launch an internal investigation into Reform UK after the jailing of former Welsh leader Nathan Gill for taking pro-Russian bribes. Farage denied involvement in extremist organisations and said he would not act in a hurtful or insulting way.

Read at www.bbc.com