The Reform leader lost his cool when questioned over the racism allegations from his school days
Nigel Farage told a BBC journalist he would not speak to them until the broadcaster issued an apology, during a fiery press conference yesterday.
The Reform leader became visibly irritated at journalists as he was questioned about the allegations of racism from his school days.
A BBC journalist put to Farage comments made earlier by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice in an interview with the Today programme’s Emma Barnett.
Tice had dismissed the allegations as “made-up twaddle”.
The journalist pointed out that Farage himself has previously said that while he did make comments at school, but that they “may have been banter” and they didn’t “directly [abuse] anyone”.
“So Richard Tice is wrong isn’t he?,” the journalist asked.
Farage said that the interview with the Tice yesterday morning had been “utterly disgraceful”.
In the press conference, Farage said: “I thought this performance from one of your lower grade presenters on the Today programme was utterly disgraceful.”
He added: “I think to frame a question around the leader of Reform’s relationship with Hitler, which is how she framed it, was despicable, disgusting beyond belief.
“Are you surprised that half a million people a year refuse to pay the licence fee?”.
Farage then launched into an extended attack on the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of “double standards and hypocrisy”.
He argued that at the time he is accused of making racist remarks, the BBC was airing blackface, racism and homophobia in sitcoms like the Black and White Minstrel Show.
“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.
In a continuation of his rant, the Reform leader said: “I want an apology from the BBC for virtually everything you did throughout the 1970s and 80s.”
Farage then read a letter from a Jewish former classmate from Dulwich College, who was not named, which downplayed the Reform leader’s behaviour “as 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,” the letter allegedly said.
The BBC journalist then tried to ask a follow up on Tice claiming Farage’s former classmates had lied about the allegations.
“No I’m done with you,” Farage said.
The journalist continued with the question, which Farage got even more irritated about.
“I’m really… until you apologise for all of your output, your appalling output at the same time that I’m accused of saying these things, which I deny, I’m not speaking to you,” he said.
Later, Farage refused to answer further questions about the racism allegations, and instead repeatedly shouted the name of controversial comedian Bernard Manning at an ITV reporter.
So did Farage lose his cool with journalists yesterday or was this a Trump-style tactic to make reporters scared of asking him difficult questions?
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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