Nigel Farage dismisses school racism claims as 'banter in a playground'

Nigel Farage has said helium did not racially maltreatment chap pupils portion astatine schoolhouse successful a "hurtful oregon insulting way".

The Reform UK person said helium had ne'er been portion of "an extremist organisation oregon engaged successful direct, unpleasant idiosyncratic abuse" but added: "Can I retrieve everything that happened astatine school? No, I can't."

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Speaking to reporters connected Monday, Mr Farage said determination was a "strong governmental element" to the allegations, which were archetypal published successful The Guardian.

The paper reported that the erstwhile UKIP person allegedly made racist and antisemitic comments portion helium was a pupil astatine Dulwich College, an autarkic schoolhouse successful southbound London.

But asked whether helium racially abused chap pupils erstwhile helium was astatine school, Mr Farage said: "No.

"And this is 49 years ago, by the way. 49 years ago. Have I ever tried to instrumentality it retired connected immoderate idiosyncratic connected the ground of wherever they're from? No."

Pressed connected the aforesaid question again, helium replied: "I would never, ever bash it successful a hurtful oregon insulting way."

He added: "I conscionable entered my teens. Can I retrieve everything that happened astatine school? No, I can't. Have I ever been portion of an extremist organisation oregon engaged successful direct, unpleasant idiosyncratic abuse, genuine abuse, connected that basis? No."

Challenged connected what was described arsenic a "very caveated" reply - and that helium was "not rather ruling this out", the Reform UK person responded: "I've ne'er straight truly tried to spell and wounded anybody.

"Have I said things 50 years agone that you could construe arsenic being banter successful a playground that you could construe successful a modern airy of time successful immoderate benignant of way? Yes.

"Have I ever misspoken successful my beingness successful my younger days erstwhile I was a child? Probably.

"I would accidental to you, determination is simply a beardown governmental constituent to this."

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The latest accusations travel aft Sarah Pochin, the Reform MP for Runcorn and Helsby, was embroiled successful a racism row aft she said it "drives maine huffy erstwhile I spot adverts afloat of achromatic people, afloat of Asian people", which bash not "reflect our society" - comments she aboriginal apologised for.

Mr Farage told reporters that portion helium was "unhappy" astir the "ugly" remarks, helium did not deliberation they were "racist".

But Sir Keir Starmer has called Mr Farage "spineless" for not taking enactment against Ms Pochin for "obvious racism".

He told reporters past week: "The antheral is spineless. If that had been idiosyncratic successful my party, I'd person dealt with it consecutive away.

"He needs to explicate the latest allegations, and whilst he's astatine it, helium needs to explicate wherefore he's excessively spineless to instrumentality enactment successful narration to what is evident racism successful the comments of his chap MP."