Nigel Farage has again denied allegations of racism as a schoolboy and repeated his claim that some had been concocted because people disliked his politics.
During a press conference, he snapped at one reporter who asked about the issue, saying: “I think we’ve gone quite a long way towards answering all this, don’t you?”
Farage, who prides himself on answering numerous questions at press conferences, took 10 this time, but did not include any from the Guardian.
So what did he say – and is it true?
The claim: Farage said the director Peter Ettedgui is the “one person that said I directly abused him”.
He added: “One person says they were hurt, and if they feel they were hurt, then I’m genuinely sorry. But I never, ever, ever would have said or done anything like that directly to a human being. Absolutely not.”
Analysis: Ettedgui is actually one of several contemporaries from minority ethnic backgrounds to claim Farage abused them when they were at school.
Ettedgui, a Jewish student, has said: “[Farage] would sidle up to me and growl, ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers.”
Cyrus Oshidar has said Farage repeatedly called him a “Paki”.
Another former pupil told the Guardian he was also directly targeted by Farage.
“[Farage] walked up to a pupil, flanked by two similarly tall mates, and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’. That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying, ‘That’s the way back’ to wherever you replied you were from.”
The claim: Farage suggested the allegation he abused Ettedgui had only come from Ettedgui himself.
Analysis: This is wrong.
Seven other contemporaries have come forward to say they saw Farage abusing Ettedgui with antisemitic language.
Stefan Benarroch said: “[Ettedgui] was such a gentle soul and Farage – Farage made his life a fucking nightmare … They could only identify us, because we had to go to this stupid Jewish service in the science labs school. I mean, none of us were remotely religious. They would hang out there. Farage would hang out with his minions. And then they would taunt us as we would leave.”
Rickard Berg said: “He definitely had a go at Peter and there were a couple of others he would also have a go at … He was nasty, there was no question. [The song] Gas ’em all, I heard him singing it to Ettedgui. I didn’t get it at the time, because Peter didn’t react. Back in the day, you thought it was for him to react.”
Anthony Butler said: “I clearly recall him relentlessly hectoring and bullying Ettedgui with shouts of ‘stupid yid’ in the playground.” Butler offered an apology to Ettedgui.
Jean-Pierre Lihou said: “[Farage] used to say things like, you know, ‘Jude’, to Peter, which is the German for Jew, in the way it was said in the 1930s, a long ‘u’ in a menacing way, you know? It’s pretty awful.”
Bob Jope, a former teacher, said: “I think he [Farage] said ‘Shut up you Jew’ to Peter Ettedgui.”
Martin Rosell said: “[Farage] certainly made comments to the Jewish guy in that class, Peter Ettedgui … Comments like, under his breath, sort of ‘Jew’ … and comments about how they ‘missed you’, that sort of thing.”
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The claim: Farage has suggested that some of the more than 20 people who have made claims about his behaviour in school did so for political reasons.
“Look at what they say. None of them say, I directly attack them or abuse them,” Farage said. “What they do say, they do say, very clearly, is they have different political views to me.”
Analysis: The overwhelming majority of the contemporaries that the Guardian has spoken to are not active in party politics.
Some disagree with him, and dislike Reform, but they say they came forward because of his denials about his past behaviour – and their expectation that he should show some contrition.
One of those who spoke out, Martin Rosell, is the chair of the Liberal Democrats in Salisbury. Farage was told this by the Guardian prior to publication. His account is supported by others.
Farage has cited the example of Roger Gough, a former Conservative leader of Kent county council.
But Gough was not among the individuals who claimed they had either been victims of, or witnesses to, racist and antisemitic behaviour by Farage.
