Dulwich College has issued a rare and pointed intervention following a wave of allegations from former pupils who claim that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage engaged in racist and antisemitic behaviour during his school years in the 1970s. The school said such claims were “profoundly distressing” and “entirely at odds with the Dulwich College of today”, underscoring its concern that the stories circulating bear no resemblance to the institution’s current ethos.
The statement, written by current master Robert Milne, is the first time the school has formally commented on the controversy. It follows several weeks in which multiple ex-pupils have come forward — independently and with accounts spanning different year groups — alleging that Farage, then a teenager, engaged in racially abusive conduct. Farage has strongly denied all such claims.
‘Wholly incompatible with the values the College holds’
In a letter addressed to former pupil Jean-Pierre Lihou, Milne wrote:
“Such behaviour is wholly incompatible with the values the College holds.”
He added that the claims being described by former pupils were:
“Entirely at odds with the Dulwich College of today.”
Milne emphasised that the school had, until now, refrained from making a public statement to avoid becoming embroiled in an increasingly politicised media environment. Protecting the reputation of the college “in the long term”, he wrote, did not equate to neutrality or indifference.
The allegations: what former pupils say happened
The recent row was ignited when Jean-Pierre Lihou, now 61, publicly alleged that Farage had sung antisemitic songs at Jewish classmates and had expressed hostility towards Asian pupils, claiming he “had a big issue with anyone called Patel”.
Following Lihou’s interview, a number of other former pupils — some older, some younger than Farage — have described similar recollections. Their accounts, reported across several media outlets, allege:
Antisemitic language and songs
Several ex-pupils have said that derogatory songs or chants were directed at Jewish students, and that Farage was allegedly among those participating. Some claimed this behaviour occurred not as isolated incidents but as part of a pattern of playground hostility common to certain groups of boys at the time.
Racially targeted comments towards Asian pupils
Others recalled a culture of mocking or belittling South Asian pupils, with Farage allegedly making disparaging remarks, particularly about classmates with Indian surnames. Lihou’s reference to a “big issue with anyone called Patel” echoes accounts from other contemporaries who say similar language was used.
A broader atmosphere of racism in 1970s independent schools
Several of those who have come forward stress not only Farage’s alleged role but the wider institutional environment of the era. Former pupils have described the time as one in which overt racism among schoolboys often went unchallenged, and in which political commentary about immigration and the National Front filtered into playground behaviour.
It is against this backdrop that former pupils argue Farage’s teenaged comments — if accurately remembered — must be viewed.
All of these claims remain allegations, based on recollections of events approximately fifty years old. None have been tested, investigated, or legally adjudicated.
Dulwich College: today’s values ‘cannot be reconciled’ with the claims
Though Dulwich College has stopped short of commenting on the truth of the specific allegations — something the master emphasised is outside the school’s remit — Milne’s letter makes clear that the behaviour described is irreconcilable with the modern institution:
“Safeguarding the college’s good name and upholding its values are of paramount importance to us.”
The college also clarified that its reluctance to issue an immediate public statement was primarily to avoid being drawn into a political row.
Lihou: more than 30 former pupils have come forward
Jean-Pierre Lihou told Sky News he welcomed the master’s letter as an acknowledgement that the allegations deserved to be taken seriously, even if the college understandably avoided passing direct judgement on Farage himself.
He said he now believes “approaching 30 people” have contacted him or spoken publicly with accounts consistent with his own. He argues that such a volume of testimony should give Farage pause:
“Why can Mr Farage not accept that approaching 30 people who have lasting memories from when he was a 13-year-old to an adult… that he should unreservedly apologise?”
For Lihou and others, whether Farage is remembered as “worse than average” or “typical of the era” is less important than the principle that the experiences of those who felt targeted should be acknowledged.
A clash between memory, politics, and reputation
The current dispute sits at the intersection of personal recollections, political tensions, and institutional image-management.
- For former pupils, it is about finally articulating historic experiences they say were painful or formative.
- For Farage, the allegations risk damaging both personal reputation and political momentum.
- For Dulwich College, it is a question of how to distance today’s school — and its stated values — from behaviours reportedly commonplace among boys half a century ago.
What remains clear is that, while the claims concern the past, their impact is being felt very much in the present.
