...
It has taken time and courage for these men to speak out – courage which has, however, been met with derision and dismissal by Farage, Reform and some media commentators, who have described Farage’s words as playground “banter” and former pupils’ words as politically-motivated “smears”.
The word “banter” generally carries the sense of a playful, teasing or good-humoured exchange: but there was nothing playful, teasing, good-humoured nor reciprocal, about Farage’s attacks, as reported by former pupils who suffered them.
Similarly, the word “smear” carries the sense of a false accusation or slander, intended to harm a reputation: but there was nothing false about the reports relating to Farage that I recorded in 1981. Recent reports are consistent with those.
Meanwhile, Farage himself has claimed (BBC, 24 November 2025) that he “never directly racially abused anybody … by taking it out on an individual on the basis of who they are or what they are” and that he would “never, ever do it [ie use racial abuse] in a hurtful or insulting way”.
His statement is inconsistent with the multiple accounts of his targeted behaviour; and I am at a loss to understand how racial abuse could be used in any way that was not hurtful or insulting. (In the same interview, Farage also cited free speech – “Sometimes you say things that people don’t like” – as a defence. “Free speech” seems to have become, for some, a justification for saying anything to, or about, anyone.)
...