Michael Crick's reverse-ferret on Farage racism claims

“What’s… remarkable is that no British TV or radio broadcaster – so far as I’m aware – has ever made a proper, detailed investigative documentary on Farage’s life – though it would take a series of several parts to do the story justice,” wrote veteran journalist Michael Crick on X on Wednesday.

The post seemed a cheeky application for work – the long-time Channel 4 News man wrote a biography of Farage, One Party After Another, in 2022. But if he wants to tell the Reform leader’s life story in broadcast form, Crick first might want to decide whether he thinks his subject is a racist or not.

Just last month, after deputy prime minister David Lammy resurfaced rumours that Farage had sung Hitler Youth songs as a schoolboy, Crick defended his muse against allegations of racism, describing some of them as “absurd”, and expressed his surprise that “Lammy was so reckless in making the allegation, given that he is the justice secretary”.

At the time Rats in a Sack wondered whether Lammy was reckless at all – especially when there are so many other allegations about Farage’s youthless indiscretions in Crick’s own book. Across several pages, Crick details claims of Farage saying to a Jewish schoolmate “Hitler was right”, singing ‘Gas ‘Em All’ to the tune of George Formby’s Bless ‘Em All, being “a very vocal National Front supporter” and much more.

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Now, after the Guardian published fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at Farage’s school – claims which are very similar indeed to those in One Party After Another – Crick has reverse-ferreted, saying it is time Farage apologised for his youthful behaviour.

He posted on X: “Today’s Guardian feature on Farage’s anti-semitism & racism at Dulwich College is largely based on my book One Party After Another & my past films for C4News, but they’ve got more witnesses, & more detail, so it’s not credible to deny his vile pattern of behaviour at that time.

“Rather than completely deny his behaviour – which Farage didn’t entirely do back in 2013 – he & Reform UK would do better publicly to make a genuine heartfelt apology to the Dulwich boys who suffered his anti-semitic & racist bullying. Farage & Reform’s denials aren’t credible.”

So which of the two Farages does Crick want to make a “proper, detailed investigative documentary” about – the racist he decried this month, or the one he was describing the allegations about as “absurd” last?