Former Classmates Allege Racist, Antisemitic School Behaviour by Nigel Farage — Claims Could Complicate Reform UK’s Rise

About 20 former pupils of Dulwich College have come forward with allegations that Nigel Farage engaged in racist and antisemitic behaviour while a student in the 1970s and 1980s. The claims, recounted by contemporaries who say they were approached independently, include mocking Nazi salutes, racial taunts, and the misuse of prefect powers to target younger pupils. Farage has denied the allegations.

Allegations and firsthand accounts

Andrew Field, now a doctor in the NHS, recalled a small blue school register and an incident in which a student publicly burned the roll in protest after noticing more pupils with the Indian surname Patel than the English surname Smith. Field said the boy who performed that act later displayed behaviour he describes as racist during his teens, including mocking goose-steps and frequent Nazi salutes.

Field also described an episode after he was made a prefect, when the older prefect allegedly escorted him to the lower school playground and put an Indian child into detention without cause. "There was no reason whatsoever for him doing that," Field said, adding that he was "deeply shocked." Field alleged that a nine-year-old Black pupil was repeatedly targeted with taunts such as, "Africa is that way. Why don't you f*** off there?"

Peter Ettedgui, an award-winning film director who sat in the same class as Farage for several years, told investigators that the abuse turned explicitly antisemitic once Farage discovered Ettedgui was Jewish. "As soon as he found out I was Jewish—that was it," Ettedgui said. He recalled remarks such as "Hitler was right" and an imitation of the sound of a gas chamber.

"I can categorically say that the stories being told about me from 50 years ago are not true," Farage said in response to the recent accounts, adding that he believes attempts to smear those who speak about immigration are politically motivated.

Context and past reporting

These allegations are not entirely new. Reporting from the past referenced a 1981 school objection to appointing the then-17-year-old Farage as a prefect because of concerns about his views. At that time Farage acknowledged having said "some ridiculous things" and later characterized earlier remarks as poorly chosen.

Political implications

Analysts say the claims pose a test for Reform UK as it seeks to broaden support beyond a roughly 15% core base. Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, noted that winning a general election would require attracting moderate voters who might be deterred by allegations of racism associated with the party's leader. Recent polling found substantial negative views of Farage among ethnic minority voters and a plurality of white voters perceiving Reform as racist.

At the same time, Farage has maintained distance from figures further to his right and has highlighted members of ethnic minorities within his party, which some observers say places him closer to mainstream positions on national identity than more extreme actors.

Accusers' motives and differing recollections

Some former Dulwich pupils dispute the allegations or say they do not remember such behaviour. Allies of Farage have described the claims as politically motivated. The accusers say they were approached independently and that speaking up is intended to inform voters ahead of the next general election, due by 2029.

"We’re all saying exactly the same thing," Ettedgui said. "For me, it boils down to something intensely personal: I don’t want my school bully to become my prime minister."

The allegations remain unproven in a legal sense and are contested. Whether they will materially affect Farage’s political prospects depends on many factors, including how voters weigh historical conduct against current positions and how effectively Reform UK persuades more moderate electorates.