A former Dulwich College pupil has stepped forward with an accusation against Nigel Farage, claiming that while they were classmates, Farage uttered the dismissive remark, “that’s the way back to Africa.” The Reform UK leader is facing renewed scrutiny over alleged behavior from his time at the prestigious south London school.
The former student, Yinka Bankole, says he was compelled to speak out after watching Farage's recent press conference, where the politician appeared to downplay or dismiss the significance of the alleged actions.
Bankole, who was born to Nigerian parents who moved to the UK in the 1950s, recounted his experience to The Guardian. He joined Dulwich College as a nine-year-old, though Farage only noticed him several years later when he reached about 17. Bankole describes Farage towering over him in the lower-school playground and asking where he was from. He recalls Farage replying almost immediately with the pointed remark and a gesture toward a distant place, implying Africa.
Further context and reaction have spilled into the public sphere, with media outlets reporting on related discussions and past remarks. Farage has denied ever making racist statements in a malicious or harmful manner during a press conference held on a Thursday. He has suggested that what some might interpret as banter from a playground could be viewed differently in modern times.
A group of Holocaust survivors has since requested an apology from Farage regarding allegations of racism and antisemitism during his school years. In an open letter signed by eleven individuals, including several who survived the concentration camps, they emphasize the serious nature of such language and call on Farage to acknowledge whether he said those words or to defend the claim that others are lying. They declare that praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or directing racist insults is never acceptable banter—neither in a playground nor elsewhere—and urge honesty, reflection, and a commitment to truth if these claims are to be resolved.
Among those criticizing Farage is his former classmate Peter Ettedgui, who is Jewish and has said Farage repeatedly approached him at the school and told him “Hitler was right.” Ettedgui and others share the belief that those who would lead the country should strive to unite people across race and religion, and that antisemitism must never be tolerated.
The signatories include Holocaust survivors such as Hedi Argent, who fled Austria and lost several family members, and Simon Winston, who survived a ghetto experience under Nazi-occupied territories.
In response to the allegations, Farage suggested that journalists from certain outlets were displaying double standards, noting past broadcasts that would be considered racist today.
In the political arena, opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer labeled Farage a “toxic, divisive disgrace” after Farage described Glasgow’s language landscape in terms of first-language English usage among schoolchildren. Scottish First Minister John Swinney condemned the remarks as inherently racist.
Would such past incidents alter how we judge leadership today, or should focus remain strictly on current policies and actions? Share your perspective in the comments.
