Nigel Farage has attempted to downplay allegations of racism against him, claiming he never "tried to hurt anybody" during his teenage years at Dulwich college. The comments came after a Guardian investigation detailed claims from around 20 people that Farage was part of a clique that targeted minority ethnic pupils for abuse and discriminatory behavior.
The Reform leader's response was seen as less than forthcoming, with some accusing him of caveating his answers. When asked directly if he had racially abused fellow pupils, Farage replied "No" but then added "I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way." He later reiterates this point, stating "I have never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody."
Farage's refusal to acknowledge the allegations publicly earlier has sparked outrage among some who claim he is trying to avoid accountability. Peter Ettedgui, director of Bafta-winning films Kinky Boots and McQueen, told a podcast that Farage's response was "spineless" and that he should have apologized for his past actions.
The controversy surrounding Farage's behavior at Dulwich college dates back several decades and has raised concerns about the UK's far-right movement. Critics argue that Farage is trying to distance himself from his past behavior in order to appeal to a broader audience.
While Farage maintains that he never engaged in racist or antisemitic behavior, many of those who claim they were targeted by him have spoken out against his response. Josh Babarinde, Liberal Democrat president-elect, called on Farage to "come clean" and apologize for his past actions, stating that the British people deserve a straight answer from potential leaders.
In an effort to deflect criticism, Farage's spokesperson has suggested that many of those who claim they were targeted by him are fabricating their stories. However, this argument has been met with skepticism by some, who point out that it is impossible for everyone to recall past events in detail.
Ultimately, Farage's response to the allegations raises serious questions about his fitness for office and his willingness to acknowledge and learn from his mistakes.
The Reform leader's response was seen as less than forthcoming, with some accusing him of caveating his answers. When asked directly if he had racially abused fellow pupils, Farage replied "No" but then added "I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way." He later reiterates this point, stating "I have never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody."
Farage's refusal to acknowledge the allegations publicly earlier has sparked outrage among some who claim he is trying to avoid accountability. Peter Ettedgui, director of Bafta-winning films Kinky Boots and McQueen, told a podcast that Farage's response was "spineless" and that he should have apologized for his past actions.
The controversy surrounding Farage's behavior at Dulwich college dates back several decades and has raised concerns about the UK's far-right movement. Critics argue that Farage is trying to distance himself from his past behavior in order to appeal to a broader audience.
While Farage maintains that he never engaged in racist or antisemitic behavior, many of those who claim they were targeted by him have spoken out against his response. Josh Babarinde, Liberal Democrat president-elect, called on Farage to "come clean" and apologize for his past actions, stating that the British people deserve a straight answer from potential leaders.
In an effort to deflect criticism, Farage's spokesperson has suggested that many of those who claim they were targeted by him are fabricating their stories. However, this argument has been met with skepticism by some, who point out that it is impossible for everyone to recall past events in detail.
Ultimately, Farage's response to the allegations raises serious questions about his fitness for office and his willingness to acknowledge and learn from his mistakes.
He's still dodging the question of whether he actually hurt anyone or not! And honestly, I think it's super weird that he keeps saying "I would never do it in a hurtful way" - is that supposed to make us feel better? 
The fact that he's trying to distance himself from his past behavior so he can appeal to more people is just low-key disgusting. Like, if you did something wrong, own up to it and apologize already! 
... I mean, on one hand, I think it's crazy that Nigel Farage is trying to downplay these allegations and make excuses for himself. Like, if he really didn't do anything wrong, why not just own up to it? 
And honestly, if people are saying they were targeted by him back in the day, shouldn't we at least give them some credibility? I mean, it's not like they're making this stuff up out of thin air... but at the same time, maybe there is more to the story than what we know. 
. His comment about not trying to hurt anyone just doesn't cut it, especially when so many people are coming forward with similar experiences 
. If he's really as innocent as he claims, then why isn't he being more forthcoming and transparent about his past? 
.
he's really gonna try to downplay this? 20+ ppl say he was part of a clique that bullied minority ethnic pupils & now he's all like "I never hurt anyone" 
. And now he's playing the victim card too? "Spineless" is exactly what his response was - spineless 
. And what really gets me is that he's still holding onto this "I would never, ever do it in a hurtful way" line 
. That's not how apologies work, mate.
. We all know that Farage is trying to sweep this under the rug because he doesn't want to take responsibility for his actions 
. The thing is, we won't let him get away with it 
.
. Instead, he's dodging and weaving like a pro 
. I'm not buying the whole "many of those who claim they were targeted are fabricating their stories" thing 
Nigel Farage is trying to play dumb about all this racist stuff and it's just not cutting it 
You can't just say you've never tried to hurt anyone and expect people to believe that. It sounds like you're making excuses 
. Newsflash, Nigel: you can't just claim you never tried to hurt anyone and expect people to believe it 
. Can't we just have a straight answer from someone in a position of power? It feels like Farage is more concerned with saving face than doing what's right 
.
. Like, dude, own up to it already! If he's really saying that, then why not admit to being part of that clique? 
.
. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next 
#NotImpressed. He's trying to downplay the severity of his actions by saying he never tried to hurt anybody, but that's just not good enough 
#LeadershipFail.
#JusticeForVictims. The British people deserve a straight answer from potential leaders, and it's time for Farage to step up and take ownership of his mistakes