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Nigel Farage has said he did not racially abuse fellow pupils while at school in a “hurtful or insulting way”.
The Reform UK leader said he had never been part of “an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant personal abuse” but added: “Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t.”
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Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mr Farage said there was a “strong political element” to the allegations, which were first published in The Guardian.
The newspaper reported that the former UKIP leader allegedly made racist and antisemitic comments while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, an independent school in south London.
But asked whether he racially abused fellow pupils when he was at school, Mr Farage said: “No.
“And this is 49 years ago, by the way. 49 years ago. Have I ever tried to take it out on any individual on the basis of where they’re from? No.”
Pressed on the same question again, he replied: “I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.”
He added: “I just entered my teens. Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t. Have I ever been part of an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant personal abuse, genuine abuse, on that basis? No.”
Challenged on what was described as a “very caveated” answer – and that he was “not quite ruling this out”, the Reform UK leader responded: “I’ve never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody.
“Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground that you could interpret in a modern light of day in some sort of way? Yes.
“Have I ever misspoken in my life in my younger days when I was a child? Probably.
“I would say to you, there is a strong political element to this.”
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