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?

Seems to have been more of a witness corroborating the antisemitic abuse of the jewish boys

Very possibly, although I would consider anyone exposed to the extent of bullying this man is capable of over many years is also a victim, even if not the direct target.

(Have had an anesthetic today, so not necessarily getting all the names of who was a direct target vs a witness lined up! Yes, I should be trying to sleep now.)

It doesn't invalidate his testimony whether a target or a witness, does it?

Both are important voices to be heard and corroboration is important in it's own right

Hope you feel better soon. Sleep tight

.

It does not matter at all. It's a non story.

Maybe to you

Not to others

Honestly, even his victim said that Farage was the first antisemite he'd ever met. Nobody was antisemitic back then. People were horrible about blacks and Asians but we had all watched too many films and documentaries about WWII to think it was cool to discriminate against Jews

Ultimately, people caring about a politician's past has a lot to do with if they get what they want out of them. Millions of well meaning people turned a blind eye to Trump's sordid treatment of women in 2016 because they thought he would be the only one to "clear the swamp" & "shut the border".

People who think Starmer is dull are probably the same ones who thought Boris Johnson and his cronies did a good job.

“Nobody was anti semitic back then” For clarity-this is ironic, isn’t it?

Guardian is keeping the pressure on.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/25/three-more-ex-pupils-at-school-with-nigel-farage-reject-banter-claims

I think what many people who cite that tv programme failed to grasp was that pretty much the whole point was to highlight what an idiot the white, male next door neighbour was.

Good.

It's probably a lost cause though. Racism has become normalised and accepted now. Farage has seen to that. This platform is evidence of it.

Oh, was it? I’ve never seen it-It was banned in my anti racist childhood-but that could have been because my parents, as well as being anti racists and anti apartheid campaigners (despite being old) were also massive snobs!

And yet curiously they did. According to the accusers Farage was totally out and it was outrageous and abominable, yet no formal action. He is about to win a UK election. Really? I am a centrist and even i find the whole thing murky.

Yes, he was a complete idiot and the joke was always on him.

I am not surprised to learn that a group of upper class intellectual British men (aka the staff at an expensive private school) might have had far right and anti semitic tendencies

I am because those are the men who’d just fought in a war against fascism.

muckraking the actions of a child?
This went on until he was 18.

I am a bit younger than Farage and from a different country but I never heard anyone at school saying that Hitler was right or sing about gas chambers.

The English relationship-particularly the English upper classes’ relationship-with fascism is very complex.

Neither Farage or his apologists are denying that he was an abusive, racist bully when he was in the sixth form. Instead merely seeking to discredit those who have stood up to him.

Anti-German feeling alone was the societal norm post-war into the 70s early 80s - people were still living around visible bombsites and grieving for their relatives/friends - for some people it was as if we were still at war with Germany

Never heard any support for Hitler or the Nazi regime

It certainly mattered to this country what Shamima Begum was like as a child didn't/ doesn't it?
I wonder why it is one rule for one, and one for another... couldn't possibly be skin colour could it?

I do wonder if Farage is happy that this is taking attention from his friend Nathan Gill taking bribes from Russia and what other Russia/Reform/UKIP connections there might be.
NF has said that Putin is the world leader he most admires and I wonder what else might come out about that story.

My dad got some very snide comments because he drove a Volkswagen in the 60s.