You can understand the frantic efforts by Reform UK Ltd to fend off all the allegations of racism now engulfing Nigel Farage. Not only is he the sole director of the limited company that is the party, but he is also effectively their one and only asset, now turning into a liability. If he's forced out, they have no one else to turn to. When he left UKIP in 2016, the party originally founded by Alan Sked and later taken over by Farage, fell apart, going through eight leaders, non-entities all, in quick succession. One (Diane James) lasted 18 days. Another (Lois Perry) managed 34. If Farage had to quit now, you can easily imagine the same fate happening to Reform UK. They will fight to the bitter end simply because, without Farage, they have nothing. Reform UK is the ultimate political one-man band.
This was probably why Richard Tice was on TV denying his leader was racist, had ever been racist and, moreover, that his main accuser, Peter Ettegui, was a liar and had essentially invented the whole thing. Tice called the allegations 'made-up twaddle.' Not even Farage has claimed that.
At a press conference yesterday, held to allow Farage to attack Labour's decision to delay four mayoral elections, his message got drowned out by questions of racism. The famously prickly and combative leader launched a furious tirade against the BBC and ITV for what he said was their own past history of airing programmes like The Black & White Minstrels and Bernard Manning in the 1970s and 80s.
This is how a potential future British PM handled a tricky question:
It's Farage at his absolute weakest - thin-skinned, easy to offend, and nurturing a persecution complex. He’s a vile man, no intellectual ability, just attacks anyone who disagrees with him. A Trumpian drip.— Simon Gosden (@simongosden.bsky.social) 4 December 2025 at 18:23
He thinks the broadcasters are individuals rather than corporate entities and that two wrongs make a right. Also, I can't ever remember them claiming Hitler was right.
He went on to read out a letter he said he had received from a former schoolmate at Dulwich College, which said that while Farage had been “offensive”, he did not recall him as racist.
Farage read from his anonymous erstwhile supporter: “I was a Jewish pupil at Dulwich college at the same time and I remember him [Farage] very well. While there was plenty of macho tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter, it was humour, and yes, sometimes it was offensive … but never with malice. I never heard him racially abuse anyone."
It’s an odd letter where you refer to the person you are writing to as “him” rather than “you.” The writer doesn’t give his name, presumably to avoid being thought of as racist himself. The letter may be genuine, but it's very suspicious
In any case, The Guardian now have twenty-eight names who do recall Farage and his racism, plus the letter from a teacher at Dulwich College where she tells the headmaster that the teenage Farage held "racist" and "fascist or neo-fascist" views and should not be made a prefect.
Several contemporaries remember Farage being outraged that in the 1980 academic year that the college’s yearbook contained more Patels than Smiths, so much so that he actually publicly set fire to a copy of it! People have now obtained the yearbook for 1980, and guess what, it does contain 13 Patels and just 12 Smiths. This is more evidence that their stories are based on actual events.
Others recall Farage crying out in anger during morning assemblies when the name Patel was mentioned by the headmaster. As the gathering storm builds, I wouldn't be surprised if others emerge with similar stories. You don't ever forget being bullied at school, do you? Especially not by someone apparently widely recognised as being an out-and-out racist.
The party is in an existential battle, one it could easily lose. If Farage goes, it’s the end for Reform UK. This makes the record £9 million donation announced yesterday by Christopher Harborne, the Thailand-based billionaire, look very risky indeed. It is the largest ever single donation by a living person to a British political party, but a total waste of money if Farage quits.
Another donor has reportedly told a newspaper that Farage has privately admitted that an electoral pact with the Tories is inevitable, something he now publicly denies. You would have to be incredibly naive to think there won’t be one.
A Conservative spokesman said: "Nigel Farage just called a press conference and used it to rant at journalists over historic allegations of racism and antisemitism – allegations he has just admitted are true. Farage is too busy furiously defending himself to defend democracy from the Labour Party’s election delays."
“Reform’s one-man band is in chaos once again.”
When the next election comes round, and assuming Farage has survived (not a given), they will be in bed together, you can be sure.
But if Farage goes and takes his party with him, all bets are off.
