Farage’s racism

[CuriousKangaroo]

I haven’t yet seen a post about this story: Twenty people allege he has a racist past. He denies it. Who’s telling the truth about Farage’s schooldays? | Nigel Farage | The Guardian

Farage no longer categorically denies these incidents, and is now trying to fudge things by saying he didn’t mean any harm and it was a long time ago - presumably because he knows it is true and realises that 20 separate people saying it means only the truly deluded wouldn’t believe he was a racist.

But what I am interested in is does this actually assist his election chances? We already know that many of his supporters are racists - does it actually work for him that this blatant racism from him shores up their support? Are they secretly (or perhaps not so secretly in some cases) pleased?

And what do those of you who are Reform supporters but believe yourself not be racist think? Does it make you change your mind about him or Reform?

In other news, the Pope is Catholic.

Sadly many of his supporters are racist and racism is on the rise. People who are fallen for Reform's rhetoric are unlikely to care sadly. They are also unlikely to read the Guardian. Their algorithms will be set up for GB news and DM by now.

Farage is like Trump. His supporters will be pleased with this, if true.

Yes, I agree it was already plain to most that he is racist. But this is proof, so I am interested in the impact of this coming to light.

I don't like the man. He is old, he likely as did most people told jokes that wouldn't be acceptable today. I doubt anyone his age did not laugh at jokes, except Starmer who has no sense of humour.

I find the man vile on so so many levels and I'm sure (as no doubt he is) that at school he will have engaged in unpleasant "banter" of many different types, as almost everyone in a school playground 50 years ago would have. I'm not sure that's relevant now.

And yes, I think youre right, being accused of racism, especially racism years ago when it was "allowed", will do him no harm at all amoung his target voters.

But they were not even jokes. Read the things he said. And as a brown woman who was a child in the 80s, I can tell you I didn’t laugh when people told me to “go home”. It was deeply upsetting and frightening.

Your Starmer jibe is just weird. Are you saying the fact that he wouldn’t laugh at racism makes him humourless? I’m no particular fan of his but surely not being a racist and laughing at racism is a positive thing?

It's a different thread, but I'm always puzzled by the accusations of Starmer being dull, as if having a PM who juat wants to do the job, rather than entertain, is a problem.

Actually, I think racism is back with a bang. I don't mean talking about immigration. But general racism is now acceptable. As is paranoia.

We are brown and so far, experienced barely any in London. In the past year, that has changed

I didn't find Starmer tripping over, funny. I just shrugged at those who laughed. I thought the man has no sense of humour all over and is plain thin skilled for a man his age to have the media removed his tripping over. He is humourless all over.

Lots of people have different tolerance levels.

It's not an age thing. I am the same age as Nigel Farage and I have always known that the sort of comments he has been reported as making are racist and totally unacceptable. Sadly a lot of his supporters don't seem to care.

You’re not serious? Have you read the things he said? “I was only joking, they have no sense of humour” is a bully’s defence but it seems to be the one he’s going with.

I can’t even type half the things in that guardian article, my comment would be deleted. But comments saying “Hitler was right”, singing chants about gassing various groups, using a range of racial slurs. But sure, let’s criticise Starmer for being humourless because he wouldn’t have laughed at that.

I doubt Farage supporters will care though.

If you read the allegations/eye-witness accounts, it wasn’t just the odd off-colour joke that many people at the time were telling. It was nasty bullying of Jews and others who he targeted for their race/ethnic heritage.

I’m not at all surprised but I suspect some, at least, of his fans won’t see this as an issue. Depressingly.

The fact that people are up in arms about what someone did aged 15 or 16 shows how absolutely pathetic they are. I did and said a lot of things in the 1960s which would not be allowed now. For gods sake get a grip. The woke brigade are obsessed with racism.

No I haven't read it, I can't be bothered, I stopped trusting the Guardian and BBC when they told me that men are women.

Completely agree. And while also probably for a separate thread - for reasons I won’t go into I have met him several times both socially and in a professional context. He is actually very personable one on one, but more importantly (and surely positively) for a PM, hard working and dedicated. I find the criticisms of him odd. Especially when there are genuine things to criticise about what he is doing.

You called people "Pa**" and made jokes about gaschambers? Hilarious.

Those of us at the receiving end of racism are not “obsessed” with racism because we are “woke” but because it has a massive negative impact on our lives and that of our children.

I agree, I find him really interesting. Maybe not "a laugh" but genuinely interesting on things that matter.

Who would have thought eh, apparently just "banter" and lots of people online and in comments are agreeing it is just "banter". It just shows that racism and bigotry starts young.

DD was walking with a date- also brown-and carrying a bunch of flowers last week. Happy because her date had gone well. A man came up to them and said " Great for you innit. You have flowers and a pretty dress and money. Go back to where you belong". This is SE London so she was afraid to say anything in case she got stabbed. She and her date just kept walking and turned the other cheek, as we have to do.

All just friendly bantz, innit?

I don’t believe trans women are women. But I don’t ignore news stories built on investigative journalism, simply because I don’t agree with other things an outlet has said. To do so would be to sink into ignorance.

I don't believe trans women are women either. What does that have to do with anything?

My god that is terrifying your poor Dd just living her life .

I'm slightly older than Farage. While what are now rightly seen as racial slurs were in common currency in a way that is shocking today and kids picked them up and used them casually, no-one-absolutely no-one- I knew thought singing songs advocating the Holocaust for Jews or black people or Asians, or hissing to imitate escaping gas in the ear of a Jewish classmate (a couple of examples from his contemporaries) would have been acceptable. He was also 18 when some of this was taking place.

He could easily say something that indicates he was in the wrong back then but he won't, because this is actually a significant part of what Farage is as an adult.

ETA I am very sad and concerned that we seem to be going backwards not forwards as a society when it comes to racism. It is shaming and NF is part of the problem