Sadiq Khan recalls past abuse as he urges Nigel Farage to apologise over racism claims
Sadiq Khan has spoken of his dismay at Nigel Farage’s “desperate” denials of allegations of teenage racism as he described how his experience as a child shaped his life.The mayor of London said testimony from more than 20 individuals who made allegations about the Reform leader had summoned memories of his own past.“Being called the ‘P word’ at that age doesn’t just hurt you, it changes you,” he said.“It changes how you pronounce your name.It changes the way you talk to your friends, and it changes the way you walk down the street.
These are experiences you never forget,I still remember vividly how I felt,”Khan said he could not understand why Farage had failed to apologise to the individuals who were contemporaries of his at Dulwich college in south-east London,Khan, 55, said 61-year-old Farage’s suggestion that the alleged abuse could be dismissed as “banter” that was of its time failed to recognise the impact on those on the end of it,“Growing up in London in the 70s and 80s, I was no stranger to racist abuse,” Khan said.
“Those responsible might have thought it was a bit of harmless banter, but I’ll never forget how their words made me feel.”Khan, the son of a bus driver and a seamstress from Pakistan, has spoken before of facing abuse during his childhood in Tooting, south London.Khan revealed in 2019 that practically everyone outside his immediate family had been pronouncing his name incorrectly, as “Sad-eek” rather than “Saad-ick”.Farage has been under growing pressure to apologise for his alleged behaviour at school, including the claims that he targeted abuse of a number of people.Peter Ettedgui, 61, who is now an Emmy- and Bafta-winning director, told the Guardian that 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.
”His alleged abuse spanned six years, from age 13 to 18,Khan said: “I’m sure that the multiple reports that Nigel Farage regularly used vile racist and antisemitic language as a London schoolboy will strike a nerve with all those who were on the receiving end of racism growing up,We’ve made huge progress as a society since then, but we risk normalising racism like we did decades ago,Racism has the same long-lasting impact on people now as it did then, and we need to keep calling it out,”In legal letters ahead of publication of the Guardian’s investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.
Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview with the BBC’s political editor in Wales: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”He added that he had “never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody”.Sign up to First EditionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersafter newsletter promotionFarage subsequently issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published in the Guardian aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”Khan said he believed those who had spoken to the Guardian were right to do so.“While Farage desperately tries to dismiss his actions as the harmless antics of an average teenager, many will disagree, not least his old classmates who remember what happened very clearly.
“They were right to speak out, and Nigel Farage’s refusal to apologise speaks volumes about the character of a man who claims he wants to be the prime minister of this country,”The government has seized on the claims carried by the Guardian, leading Farage to claim the allegations were politically motivated,On Thursday, Keir Starmer visited Bushey United Synagogue in Hertsmere,Asked about the claims about Farage and the Reform leader’s response, the prime minister said: “Let me go to the heart of that question,This afternoon in Bushey I’ve spoken to a number of different groups, including Jewish students, young people, children at school.
They’ve described to me some of the antisemitism they’ve experienced.It has massively impacted them.“It is really difficult for them to even talk about it, and I know they’re going to carry that for years and years; this is not just something that can be passed over.Now, these allegations were made in relation to Nigel Farage.They’re serious.
They affect human beings in a visceral way.”
Soon-to-be-axed 7am Manchester-London train will still run – but without passengers
The good news for rail travel between Manchester and London is that a morning train will continue to link England’s biggest cities in under two hours. The bad news: passengers will no longer be able to get onboard.The rail regulator has axed one of Britain’s fastest and most lucrative intercity services, the 7am Avanti West Coast from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, as part of a timetable shake-up that will take effect in mid-December.What will heap on frustration for passengers, as well as the operator, is that the exact same train service will continue to run between the stations from 7am each weekday: crewed, fast and empty.The train and staff still need to travel from Manchester as they are rostered to operate subsequent services out of Euston on the new December timetable, under rail’s complex planning
Jetstar cancels 90 domestic flights across Australia after global Airbus A320 recall
Jetstar has grounded some of its Airbus fleet in Australia and cancelled domestic and international flights after the aerospace manufacturer ordered software changes to thousands of its A320 planes following a mid-air incident.Ninety Jetstar flights were affected on Saturday with disruption expected to continue until Sunday, the airline’s head of flying operations, Tyrone Simes, told reporters at Melbourne airport.Airbus said on Friday it was ordering an immediate software change on a “significant number” of its bestselling A320 family of aircraft, a narrow-body plane which is also used by Virgin Australia and Qantas.Simes said on Saturday Airbus had issued Jetstar with a maintenance directive to reverse a software upgrade that had been installed on some planes and resulted in a malfunction.He said 34 of Jetstar’s 85 Airbus fleet were affected, but engineers could complete the software update on the ground in Australia, which would take about two to three hours for each plane
More than 1,000 Amazon workers warn rapid AI rollout threatens jobs and climate
More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter expressing “serious concerns” about AI development, saying that the company’s “all-costs justified, warp speed” approach to the powerful technology will cause damage to “democracy, to our jobs, and to the earth.”The letter, published on Wednesday, was signed by the Amazon workers anonymously, and comes a month after Amazon announced mass layoff plans as it increases adoption of AI in its operations.Among the signatories are staffers in a range of positions, including engineers, product managers and warehouse associates.Reflecting broader AI concerns across the industry, the letter was also supported by more than 2,400 workers from companies including Meta, Google, Apple and Microsoft.The letter contains a range of demands for Amazon, concerning its impact on the workplace and the environment
After a teddy bear talked about kink, AI watchdogs are warning parents against smart toys
As the holiday season looms into view with Black Friday, one category on people’s gift lists is causing increasing concern: products with artificial intelligence.The development has raised new concerns about the dangers smart toys could pose to children, as consumer advocacy groups say AI could harm kids’ safety and development. The trend has prompted calls for increased testing of such products and governmental oversight.“If we look into how these toys are marketed and how they perform and the fact that there is little to no research that shows that they are beneficial for children – and no regulation of AI toys – it raises a really big red flag,” said Rachel Franz, director of Young Children Thrive Offline, an initiative from Fairplay, which works to protect children from big tech.Last week, those fears were given brutal justification when an AI-equipped teddy bear started discussing sexually explicit topics
North Melbourne v Brisbane: 2025 AFLW grand final – live
The AFLW grand final is a sell-out for the third straight year – and the second consecutive season under lights at Ikon Park – with more than 12,500 fans set to watch North Melbourne and Brisbane lock horns yet again.Let’s hope the AFL can find a solution over the next 12 months for a suitable venue that would allow even more fans to be part of what should be a celebration of women’s football as much as the season decider between the competing clubs.The best things come in threes.Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2025 AFLW grand final between North Melbourne and Brisbane as the pair of powerhouse sides meet in the decider for a third straight season. The premiership ledger over that time stands at one-all, which gives each team an opportunity to claim to be the ‘best of three’ and the standout of the stretch
Looking for Lando: My crash course at the track where F1 star Norris learned to drive
Monaco, Las Vegas, Singapore. The list of pitstops on Lando Norris’ road to the top of Formula One is like a luxury travel agent’s catalogue.So when I was asked to trace the young man’s journey ahead of a weekend in which he could become the first British champion driver since Lewis Hamilton, my hopes were high.As the taxi pulled up outside the Clay Pigeon Raceway in Dorchester, however, my excitement was taken down a few gears.It may seem an inauspicious place to blood the talent of those who will become some of the most glamorous, fiery competitors in sport, but here, in the shadow of an industrial estate not far from Yeovil, is where a growing number of Formula One stars are made
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Sadiq Khan recalls past abuse as he urges Nigel Farage to apologise over racism claims
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