NIGEL Farage said he will boycott the BBC after he was asked about allegations of racism and antisemitism during his schooldays by journalists at the broadcaster.
The Reform UK leader has faced allegations that he engaged in racist and antisemitic behaviour while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, a private school in London.
As he spoke at a central London press conference, Farage said journalists from broadcasters asking questions about the allegations were displaying “double standards”, because their outlets had in the past aired programmes which would now be considered racist.
Farage was asked by the BBC about an interview his deputy, Richard Tice, gave on Thursday, in which he claimed those accusing his boss of racism were engaging in “made-up twaddle”.
The Reform UK leader said the framing of questions was “despicable” and then went on to accuse the BBC of “double standards and hypocrisy” because of television shows including Are You Being Served? and It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.
“I cannot put up with the double standards of the BBC about what I’m alleged to have said 49 years ago and what you were putting out on mainstream content,” Farage said.
“So, I want an apology from the BBC for virtually everything you did throughout the 1970s and 80s.”
Farage’s former classmate, Peter Ettedgui, is among those who have accused him of making racist remarks to him during their school days.
Ettedgui, who is Jewish, has claimed that Farage had “repeatedly” approached him and said “Hitler was right”, while they were pupils at the school.
At the press conference, Farage continued to deny he ever made racist remarks in a “malicious or nasty way”.
He also read out a letter he claimed he had received from a former schoolmate at Dulwich College, who said he never heard the Reform UK leader racially abuse anyone.
Farage added that he had “plenty” of similar messages over the last few days, and later claimed he has seen about half a dozen or so.
The Reform leader’s comments come after John Swinney branded his attack on Glasgow schoolchildren earlier this week as racist.
The First Minister said there was no other way to describe the Reform UK leader’s remarks when questioned by journalists on Thursday.
Farage had claimed those who don’t principally speak English are “culture smashing” Glasgow, citing Scottish Government figures that almost one in three Glasgow schoolkids do not speak English as a first language.
The Reform UK leader said: “This is not diversity, as the left always preach, this actually is the cultural smashing of Glasgow.
“It’s turning it into a completely different city in every way. My question is, who voted for this? Who told anybody in Scotland this was actually happening?”
The comments sparked fury across the country, with many branding him “vile” and “disgusting”.
First Minister John Swinney has now joined in the condemnation, saying the comments demonstrate that Farage is “a purveyor of racist views”.
