The Prime Minister has since insisted that Nigel Farage and Reform UK are not racist.
David Lammy has since backtracked on the claims (Image: Getty)
Calls are being made for David Lammy to resign after he accused Nigel Farage of “flirting with the Hitler Youth”. The deputy Prime Minister was forced to apologise following the allegation, while Sir Keir Starmer has since insisted that the Reform UK leader and his supporters are not racist.
When asked whether he believes Mr Farage is racist, Mr Lammy said: “I will leave it for the public to come to their own judgements about someone who once flirted with the Hitler Youth when he was younger.” However, Sir Keir said he does not believe Mr Farage is racist, telling Sky’s Beth Rigby: “No, nor do I think Reform voters are racist. They’re concerned about things like our borders, and they’re frustrated about the pace of change. I’m not for a moment suggesting that they are racist.”
Mr Lammy has since backtracked on his comments about Mr Farage. In an interview with BBC News, he said: “He (Farage) has denied it and so I accept that he has denied it and I would like to clarify that position because in the end the prime minister is keen for us to focus on the policies not the individuals.”
He added: “I wasn’t at school with Nigel Farage. I don’t know what songs he sang at school. I’m happy to clarify. I did say it’s for the public to make up their mind and I did also emphasise that let us play the ball, not the man.”
It was alleged in 2013 that Mr Farage marched through a village “shouting Hitler Youth songs” while he was a schoolboy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Reform UK leader dismissed the allegations as “complete baloney”.
Mr Farage said Sir Keir’s branding of Reform migration plans as racist will incite and encourage the radical left”. He added that it “directly threatens the safety” of campaigners and is an “absolute disgrace” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Nigel Farage has denied the claims made against him. (Image: Getty)
The Prime Minister rejected the claims in an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC. Asked if he had put his political opponent at risk, he said: “No, that’s not the case.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir also refused to answer whether Donald Trump‘s Sharia Law comments had been racist in an interview with Sky. The US President claimed that London wants to “go to Sharia Law”.
Sir Keir said: “I’m not going to start down the road of discussing whether things said by others are racist or not.”
He added: “I have been really clear that the idea that in London we’re introducing Sharia law is rubbish.”
