London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed dismay at Nigel Farage's repeated denials of allegations of racism during his teenage years, drawing on personal experiences from his own childhood. The 61-year-old Reform leader is accused by more than 20 individuals of targeting abuse during his time at Dulwich College in south-east London.
Khan, who grew up in London in the 1970s and 80s, has spoken publicly about facing racism as a child, including having his name mispronounced by people outside his immediate family. However, he believes Farage's failure to apologise for his alleged behaviour is symptomatic of a broader problem - the normalisation of racism.
The allegations against Farage span six years, from age 13 to 18, and include incidents where he allegedly used vile racist and antisemitic language towards classmates. Khan has said that he can't understand why Farage has refused to apologise to those who were his contemporaries at school.
Farage has attempted to downplay the allegations, suggesting they could be dismissed as "banter" from a bygone era. However, Khan believes this approach is misguided and fails to acknowledge the impact of racism on individuals.
The UK government has seized on the claims, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer visiting a synagogue in Hertsmere and discussing the alleged antisemitism experienced by Jewish students. Starmer's visit came after Farage had appeared to shift his position on the allegations, suggesting that some of his comments could be interpreted as "banter" in modern times.
Khan has called for Farage to apologise and acknowledges that those who have spoken out are right to do so. He believes Farage's refusal to apologise speaks volumes about his character and suggests he is not fit to be a leader of the country.
In response, Farage's lawyers claimed that the allegations were "categorically denied". However, Farage himself has shifted his position on the matter, suggesting that some of his comments could have been interpreted in different ways over time.
Khan, who grew up in London in the 1970s and 80s, has spoken publicly about facing racism as a child, including having his name mispronounced by people outside his immediate family. However, he believes Farage's failure to apologise for his alleged behaviour is symptomatic of a broader problem - the normalisation of racism.
The allegations against Farage span six years, from age 13 to 18, and include incidents where he allegedly used vile racist and antisemitic language towards classmates. Khan has said that he can't understand why Farage has refused to apologise to those who were his contemporaries at school.
Farage has attempted to downplay the allegations, suggesting they could be dismissed as "banter" from a bygone era. However, Khan believes this approach is misguided and fails to acknowledge the impact of racism on individuals.
The UK government has seized on the claims, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer visiting a synagogue in Hertsmere and discussing the alleged antisemitism experienced by Jewish students. Starmer's visit came after Farage had appeared to shift his position on the allegations, suggesting that some of his comments could be interpreted as "banter" in modern times.
Khan has called for Farage to apologise and acknowledges that those who have spoken out are right to do so. He believes Farage's refusal to apologise speaks volumes about his character and suggests he is not fit to be a leader of the country.
In response, Farage's lawyers claimed that the allegations were "categorically denied". However, Farage himself has shifted his position on the matter, suggesting that some of his comments could have been interpreted in different ways over time.
. Sadiq Khan's got a point, though - if we just downplay racism as "banter", we're gonna keep perpetuating this cycle of hurt and division 
. I mean, I've seen my own grandfather struggle with racism back in the day, and it was devastating to watch him deal with it. We need people like Sadiq speakin' out against Farage's behaviour 'cause they know what it's like to be on the receivin' end of that kind of hate 
. We gotta hold our leaders accountable for their words and actions - if Farage can't even bring himself to apologize, then maybe he shouldn't be leadin' the charge 
.
IT'S LIKE HE THINKS HE CAN JUST WALK AWAY FROM THIS BECAUSE HE'S A FAMOUS PERSON NOW?! NO WAY, MAN!
i dont think apologizing or not apologizing changes the fact that racist stuff was said, you know?
I'm so done with people like Nigel Farage trying to brush off racism like it's no big deal 
. If he can't be bothered to acknowledge his own history of racism, how can we trust him to lead our country in a way that truly represents everyone's values? 
It's time for people in power to stop whitewashing their past and take accountability for their actions 
.
. I mean, who targets kids with racist and antisemitic abuse? It's not okay to just brush it off as "banter" from the past either. The fact that he won't even apologize to people who were his friends back then is a big red flag for me. I've had my own share of racist experiences growing up in London, but at least I've owned up to them and used them as an opportunity to learn and grow.
. It's not just about Nigel Farage and his alleged past behavior, it's about how he's avoiding accountability for his actions (or lack thereof). I mean, come on, 61 years old and still refusing to apologize for making racist comments as a teenager? That's like, basic human decency, right?
The fact that he's been dodging apologies left and right is just so... so... ugh! 
. Like, the UK government's been all over this, trying to make it clear that racism is not okay and that people who are guilty of it should own up to it. And let's be real, if Nigel Farage can't do that, then maybe he shouldn't be a leader or whatever 
.
I mean, Sadiq Khan is right to call out Nigel Farage for not apologizing for his alleged racist behavior from back in the day 
And yeah, I can see why the allegations are taking on a different tone now because of what Farage said recently 
! 
sadiq khan is totally right tho, refusing to apologize is like, the ultimate sign of racism lol. i feel bad for all the ppl who were targeted by Farage back then 
... its not 2 easy 2 say sorry wen u been accused of hurtin ppl's feelings but Farage is doin exactly dat... hes shiftin his position on it like it never happened 
... what kinda leader does that? 
The fact is, if he's refusing to apologize for his alleged behavior, that's a problem in itself. Can't we just have a respectful conversation about it without turning it into a platform war? 
We need to start holding people in positions of power accountable for their actions, and apologising when they've done wrong 
.
- its not about Farage or Khan being a good person or bad, its about how we treat each other as a society 
- if he was 13 & used that kind of language at school thats totally unacceptable, no matter what era it is 
, but at the same time, hes said sorry for some things in the past too