In a chilling display of political opportunism, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has targeted Glasgow’s schoolchildren in their latest campaign, painting the diversity of languages spoken in the city as “culture smashing.” The focus on children—the most vulnerable members of society—is not just nasty; it’s a deeply creepy and calculated political tactic designed to sow fear and division.
Reform UK’s public statement that “Nearly 1 in 3 schoolchildren in Glasgow do not speak English as their first language” is weaponized with the intent to vilify minority communities. Instead of celebrating the incredible multilingualism and richness this brings to a city like Glasgow, the party frames it as an existential threat. This rhetoric ignores the fact that speaking multiple languages is a cognitive advantage and that most of these children will be bilingual, contributing to Scottish society in countless ways. By using terms like “culture smashing,” Farage and Reform UK seek to demonise parents and children who are simply bringing their heritage and languages with them, making them feel unwelcome in their own schools and homes.
Echoes of a Racist Past
This latest campaign of division brings into sharp relief the long-standing allegations of racism against Nigel Farage himself. Multiple former classmates from his time at Dulwich College in London have made public accusations of racist and antisemitic behaviour during his teenage years.
One former classmate, a Jewish student, has claimed Farage would “sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right,’ or ‘Gas them,’ sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers.”
Other contemporaries have accused him of using racist insults like “Paki” and “Wog” and urging minority ethnic students to “go home.”
A former English teacher at the school even reportedly opposed his appointment as a prefect, citing his “publicly professed racist and neo-fascist views.”
Farage has attempted to dismiss these grave allegations, which span his teenage years, as merely “banter in a playground” or things said “without intent.” However, the sheer volume and consistency of the accounts from over a dozen individuals paint a disturbing picture of a precociously racist mindset—a mindset that appears to be fueling the tactics of his political party today.
The Hypocrisy of a Nativist Campaigner
The campaign’s attack on non-English-speaking communities is undermined by a staggering hypocrisy. Farage himself has had two significant relationships with women whose first language is not English:
His second, separated wife, Kirsten Mehr, is German-born.
His current long-time partner, Laure Ferrari, is French.
The stark contrast between his private life, which embraces the reality of a multi-cultural Europe, and his public political campaign, which seeks to terrorise and alienate children from non-English speaking backgrounds, is breathtaking. It confirms that the Reform UK attack is not an honest concern for “culture,” but a cynical and cruel attempt to weaponise racial anxiety for political gain.
Targeting vulnerable schoolchildren and their families with nativist, fear-mongering rhetoric is beneath contempt and has no place in a truly diverse and welcoming society.
An Ungagged supporter said, “The only way to rid Scotland of this fascist Westminster centred party and creepy Nigel Farage is to vote for parties of Scottish independence next May.”
