By Eniola Amadu
UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer has termed the Reform UK leader as “spineless” accusing him of neglecting to properly clarify allegations of racist and antisemitic remarks he reportedly made during his school years.
According to the Guardian, the Reform Leader, Nigel Farage taught younger pupils racist songs and made antisemitic comments at a fellow pupil at the private Dulwich College in South London.
It is also reported that Farage detained another pupil while he was a prefect as a result of their skin colour.
The newspaper interviewed 20 people who said they had either experienced or witnessed racial abuse by Farage for six years.
In response to the UK prime minister’s comment, the Reform leader said: “For the weakest prime minister in living memory to call me spineless is utterly ludicrous.
The voters will have their say on both of us at the ballot box next May” he added.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer told reporters on his departure to the G20 Summit in South Africa that Farage “needs to explain the comments, or alleged comments that were made, and he needs to do that as soon as possible”.
He noted that Farage “has not got a good track record in relation to this,” after a Reform MP remained in the party following remarks regarding the ethnicity of individuals in television commercials.
MP representing Runcorn and Helsby Sarah Pochin, said last month: “It drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people, full of people who are basically anything other than white” adding that “it does not reflect our society”.
Pochin apologised for her comments and the Reform leader mentioned that the statement was “ugly” but not intended to be racist.
Starmer described the remark as “shocking racism” and when questioned about Farage, he said: “ The man is spineless” adding that “If that had been someone in my party, I’d have dealt with it straightaway”.
He called on Farage to publicly clarify the allegations saying the Reform leader “needs to explain the latest allegations and whilst he’s at it he needs to explain why he’s too spineless to take action in relation to what is obvious racism in the comments of his fellow MP”.
“He’s got plenty of things to say about plenty of things, apart from showing some leadership when it comes to racism.”
