Overview
- At Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer called Nigel Farage’s explanations “unconvincing” and urged him to apologise to those who say they were abused.
- Farage’s stance has shifted from suggesting teenage “banter” and saying any remarks were not “with intent” to a categorical denial, alongside a statement that he is “genuinely sorry” if someone felt hurt.
- Multiple former classmates, including Peter Ettedgui, recount antisemitic slurs such as “Hitler was right” and “gas them”, with others alleging Nazi salutes, a “gas ’em” song, and discriminatory punishment.
- The Guardian and BBC report corroboration from more than a dozen contemporaries, and Guardian analysis challenges Farage’s claim that only one person alleged direct abuse.
- Political pressure on Farage and Reform UK has intensified as polls show the party strong, with separate scrutiny sparked by ex-Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill’s sentencing over pro-Russian payments.