Nigel Farage, “Schoolboy Banter” and Racism:

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Why This Story Matters for All of Us

When a public figure says, “I may have been offensive, but I never said anything racist with malice,” it tells us something important about how they understand harm, responsibility, and equality.

The current allegations about Nigel Farage’s school days at Dulwich College aren’t just about history. They raise live questions about antisemitism, racism, leadership, and the culture we create for young people today.

This blog pulls together what’s being reported, then offers key messages for parents, individuals, carers, staff, members of the public, politicians and journalists from an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) perspective.

1. What is being alleged?

Recent reporting describes allegations from more than 20 former pupils and teachers at Dulwich College in the 1970s–80s. They say that, as a teenager, Nigel Farage:

In response, Mr. Farage has:

In parallel, 11 Holocaust survivors have signed a public letter urging Mr Farage to acknowledge and apologise if he made these comments, stressing that such language is dangerous and cannot be dismissed as “banter”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/05/holocaust-survivors-call-on-nigel-farage-to-apologise-over-alleged-antisemitic-comments

Whether or not every detail can ever be proved, the pattern described is serious and specific.

It’s about a culture where antisemitism and racism could flourish, the impact on the children targeted, and the response of a man who is now a prominent political leader.

2. Why “it was just schoolboy banter” is not good enough

From an EDI and safeguarding lens, a few key principles are non-negotiable.

Impact matters more than intent

Comments that reference Hitler, the Holocaust or gas chambers are never neutral. For Jewish children whose families may have been murdered or displaced, such words land on a history of genocide and intergenerational trauma.

Whether a teenager “meant” to be malicious does not erase:

  • The humiliation and fear of being targeted.
  • The message to everyone listening about whose safety and dignity are negotiable.

In EDI work, “I didn’t mean it that way” is not an excuse. The responsible stance is:

“If I said that, it was wrong, it was harmful, and I’m accountable for it.”

“It was normal back then” explains it, doesn’t excuse

Many people educated in the 70s and 80s will recognise the atmosphere: racist jokes, slurs, homophobic “banter” and a macho culture. That context matters but it does not turn harmful behaviour into something harmless.

Saying, “It was common in that environment,” is an opportunity to:

  • Name structural and cultural racism.
  • Reflect on how that shaped us.
  • Take responsibility for doing better now.

It should increase our sense of responsibility, not reduce it.

Pattern and power, not just individual moments

These allegations describe repeat behaviours: directing noises at a Jewish boy, repeatedly picking out “foreign” names, expressing fascination with Hitler and “gassing Jews”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/04/farage-turns-on-broadcasters-racism-allegations-bbc

That is not a one-off joke. It’s a pattern. A pattern that:

  • Reinforces the inferior status of certain groups.
  • Thrives in settings where power (gender, race, class, wealth) is already unequal.

From an EDI perspective, this is bullying with a discriminatory dimension, regardless of whether the perpetrator sees themselves as “racist” or “malicious”.

3. Leadership, accountability and public life

Nigel Farage now leads a political party and presents himself as a defender of free speech and British values. With that platform come responsibilities, including the Nolan Principles of public life: leadership, integrity, accountability, honesty and openness.

When serious allegations of racism and antisemitism surface, a leadership-aligned response would include:

  • Clarity – stating clearly that antisemitism and racism are wrong, including when allegations concern yourself or your own party.
  • Consistency – not shifting from “this is all nonsense” to “recollections may vary” depending on political pressure.
  • Accountability – acknowledging that if people experienced you as racist or antisemitic, that experience is real and needs to be respected.
  • Repair – showing willingness to apologise and learn, not attacking those raising concerns or reframing it as “political”.

Blaming the BBC or other journalists for asking challenging questions does not answer the moral and emotional questions at the heart of this story.

4. Key messages for different audiences

The Farage story is a live case study in how we talk about racism, antisemitism, trauma and accountability. Here are key messages tailored for different groups.

A. For parents and carers

1. “Banter” can be bullying with a discriminatory edge
If your child says “it was only a joke” or “everyone talks like that”, explore:

  • Who is the butt of the joke?
  • Does it target race, religion, disability, sexuality, gender identity or other identity?
  • How might it feel for the person on the receiving end – or someone listening who shares that identity?

2. Help children understand history and harm
Talk explicitly about:

  • The Holocaust, slavery, colonialism and racism – in age-appropriate ways.
  • Why references to gas chambers, Hitler or “sending people back” are not just words.
  • How those histories still affect people’s lives now.

3. Teach apology as strength, not weakness
Model and encourage:

  • “I said something that was not OK.”
  • “I understand now why it hurt.”
  • “Here’s what I’ll do differently.”

Children learn more from how adults handle being challenged than from any poster on a school wall.

4. Back up schools when they tackle discrimination
If a school disciplines a child for racist or antisemitic comments:

  • Resist the reflex to minimise: “They didn’t mean it.”
  • Ask instead: “What can we do at home to support learning and repair?”

B. For young people and individuals

1. You are responsible for your words even online
Social media, group chats and gaming platforms are full of “edgy” humour. But:

  • Sharing memes or jokes that dehumanise others still carries impact.
  • “Everyone else was saying it” doesn’t remove your responsibility.

2. You are allowed to change and grow
If you recognise yourself in some of these stories:

  • You can say, “I was part of something harmful; I can do better now.”
  • Growth is about taking responsibility, not pretending it never happened.

3. Being an upstander, not a bystander
If you hear racist or antisemitic language:

  • You don’t have to be a hero. Small actions matter:
    • “That’s not funny.”
    • “Let’s not go there.”
    • Checking in privately with the person targeted.

C. For staff in schools, universities, colleges and workplaces

1. Treat discriminatory “banter” as a safeguarding and culture issue
Allegations like these show what happens when harmful behaviour is normalised. Staff need:

  • Clear policies that define racist and antisemitic harassment.
  • Training on:
    • Impact vs intent.
    • How to challenge “banter culture”.
    • How to support students or colleagues who are targeted.

2. Create spaces where witnesses can speak up safely
In the Farage case, people have spoken up decades later, often with considerable distress. That tells us:

  • They did not feel safe or believed at the time.
  • Institutions must make it easier to report early.

Good practice includes:

  • Anonymous or confidential reporting routes.
  • Clear, trauma-informed processes for responding.
  • No tolerance for retaliation or smearing of complainants.

3. Embed anti-racism and antisemitism education
Not as a one-off assembly, but:

  • Across curriculum (history, citizenship, PSHE, media studies).
  • In staff CPD and leadership training.
  • In how we celebrate diversity, not only how we respond to incidents.

D. For members of the public

1. Hold everyone to the same standards
It should not depend on whether you like or dislike a particular politician. The questions are:

  • Do they take racism and antisemitism seriously?
  • Do they respond honestly and accountably when challenged?
  • Do they model growth and repair?

2. Listen to those directly affected
Holocaust survivors and Jewish communities are saying:

Take that seriously, even if you are not personally offended.

3. Recognise culture as something we all shape
When we:

  • Laugh off racist jokes.
  • Share divisive content.
  • Dismiss concerns as “snowflakery”.

We help create the conditions in which hate can grow. The reverse is also true: everyday courage can shift culture.

E. For politicians and public leaders

1. You are not just private individuals; you are role models
Your handling of racist and antisemitic allegations sends a message far beyond the immediate story:

  • To victims deciding whether to speak out.
  • To children watching what leadership looks like.
  • To your own supporters about what is acceptable.

2. “I don’t recall” is not enough
When confronted with credible accounts from multiple witnesses:

  • Acknowledge the seriousness, even if you dispute details.
  • Be clear that if those words were said, they were wrong.
  • Offer to engage with independent scrutiny.

3. Don’t hide behind what “was normal back then”
You may well have grown up in a racist, sexist or homophobic culture. Many of us did. Leadership is saying:

“That culture was harmful. I was part of it. I choose to do better now.”

4. Invest in your own learning and your party’s culture
Good practice might include:

  • Anti-racism and antisemitism training for you and your teams.
  • Strong vetting and disciplinary processes for candidates and staff.
  • Engagement with affected communities beyond photo opportunities.

F. For journalists and broadcasters

1. Keep asking the uncomfortable questions – but do it with care
It is entirely legitimate and necessary to:

  • Ask politicians about serious allegations.
  • Probe inconsistencies in their responses.
  • Ask what they understand about the harm described.

At the same time:

  • Avoid sensationalising trauma.
  • Ensure that survivors and minoritised communities are not reduced to props in a political drama.

2. Centre those affected, not just political theatre
When Holocaust survivors write an open letter, ask:

  • How do we honour their voices?
  • How do we explain the historical context to audiences?
  • How do we avoid both-sidesing language that is objectively rooted in genocide?

3. Reflect on institutional history without letting it be used as a shield
Yes, UK media organisations have their own histories of racism and exclusion. Acknowledging that is vital. But:

  • Past failings do not mean you cannot hold others to account now.
  • When politicians weaponise your history to avoid scrutiny, name that as a tactic.

4. Beyond this one story: choosing the culture we want

This is not only about one man, one school or one party. It is about:

  • What we teach young people is acceptable.
  • How we understand the impact of words shaped by histories of racism and genocide.
  • How leaders respond when their past behaviour is questioned.

An EDI-centred response does not demand perfection. It asks for:

  • Honesty – about our histories and our cultures.
  • Accountability – for the harm we have caused or been part of.
  • Change – concrete steps to do better, personally and institutionally.

We cannot undo what was said in a playground 50 years ago. We can decide what we normalise in classrooms, workplaces, parliaments and studios today.

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