Nigel Farage ‘revelled in same initials as National Front and used to sing: ‘Gas them all”
Old school friend makes some astonishing claims about the outgoing Ukip leader's teenage years
NIGEL Farage used to be very proud his initials also stood for National Front, sang neo-Nazi songs and supported fascist 1930s leader Oswald Mosley, an old school friend claims.
The former friend says he has kept quiet about his memories of the outgoing Ukip leader until now but says he is now concerned about Britain becoming divided – and blames Farage for this.
He thought it was time to speak out after seeing Farage on the campaign trail standing in front of a Leave.EU poster of refugees with the words “Breaking Point” emblazoned on it.
In an open letter to Farage in The Independent he says he does not believe the Brexiteer has any sympathy with fascist views today.
But he wonders how much he has changed from his time as a teenager at Dulwich College to the man he is now.
He writes: “I remember the way you enchanted people at school . . . But I also remember other, darker things about you.
"I do remember you singing the song starting with the words ‘gas them all, gas ‘em all, gas them all’.
“I can’t forget the words.
“I can’t bring myself to write the rest of it for it is more vile than anything the teachers at Dulwich would ever have been aware of.”
He said the lyrics were sung to the George Formby tune 'Bless ‘em all'.
“They might not have brushed them under the carpet; they might have made you think a little more about your rhetoric; history might be a little different today.
“For I vividly recall the keen interest you had in two initials of your name written together as a signature and the bigoted symbol that represents from the many doodles over your school books.
“Nigel Farage, NF, National Front. I remember watching you draw it. Just a laugh, eh, Nigel?
“The National Front was hugely popular by comparison to today. So, turbulent times back then… but have you not moved on?”
And he said teenage Farage would provoke and “enchant” teachers and pupils and admired the British fascist Oswald Mosley.
He said his decision to tell his version of what Farage was like was not motivated by anger over the Brexit vote.
Despite voting Remain he said he did sympathise with the outgoing Ukip leader’s concerns on immigration.
The former friend added: “From being a real fan, I found myself thinking more and more with every appearance of yours on television that we must be aware of false prophets.
“Notably, the image of a desperate line of refugees, photographed not even in England, showed me that Nigel Farage has perhaps not changed that much.
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“These people were used as live currency to further your cause to represent Britain being at breaking point from European immigrants – although those people were from outside of Europe.
“As I have said, the immigration issue surely needs fixing, but you have shamefully used this picture.
His old school friend had initially planned to identify himself in the letter but after the murder of Batley & Spen MP Jo Cox said he is fearful of potential repercussions from fanatics.
Back in 2013 a letter emerged from a former Dulwich College teacher, Chloe Deakin, to the then headteacher David Emms, which accused Farage of holding fascist views at school.
Written in June 1981 – two months after the Brixton riots – she tried to get the headteacher to reverse his decision to make Farage a prefect saying he had once marched through a Sussex village singing Hitler Youth songs.
She said colleagues had told her Farage held “publicly professed racist and fascist views”.
When confronted about these accusations in 2013, Farage said: “I don't know any Hitler youth songs, in English or German . . . Any accusation I was ever involved in far right politics is utterly untrue.
“Of course I said some ridiculous things, not necessarily racist things. It depends how you define it.”
Farage is due to start a tour of European countries next month when he will advise other Eurosceptic parties on how to follow Ukip’s lead, with Greece being his first stop.
His former friend writes: “I’m sure the neo-Nazis in Golden Dawn in Greece will cheer you loudly.
“The people of Greece, beware.
“…I think you’re a troublemaker. You were at school, you are now.
“But we need to beware of what’s being whipped up.”
Mr Farage did not directly respond to the claims made by his former friend.
Instead, he said: “To say that this is going over old ground is an understatement.
“The period during which I was at Dulwich was highly politically charged with the rise of Thatcherism to the Brixton riots just down the road.
“There were many people of that time who were attracted to extreme groups on both sides of the debate.”
He added: “Whoever sent you this must be a little of touch to say that I supported Oswald Mosley as he believed in a United States of Europe. Some people need to get over Brexit.”
Dulwich College did not respond to a request for comment.