The Farage Apologists

The same commentators that spent years condemning anti-semitism in UK politics as a major national scandal, have suddenly lost interest now that it implicates one of their own

Over recent weeks commentators and publications which spent years accusing the Labour party of being “institutionally anti-semitic”, have suddenly discovered that the issue of anti-semitism within our politics is no longer of interest to them.

The Spectator, whose columnist Douglas Murray wrote in 2019 that “Labour’s anti-Semitism shame must never be forgiven” has suddenly become much more forgiving about the significantly worse allegations being made against the Reform leader.

Responding to claims that Nigel Farage had sung Hitler Youth songs, told Jewish children they should go to the gas chamber, and submitted a young black boy to repeated racist bullying, the magazine dismissed them as “desperate smears” while calling Farage’s alleged victims “feeble and underhand” for “playing the informer” on him.

A similar attitude could be found at the Telegraph, which also spent years demanding action against anti-semitism in our politics.

“The campaign against Farage shows that nothing is beneath the frightened Left”, wrote the paper’s Associate Editor, and Farage’s fellow GB News host, Camilla Tominey, last week.

“To be clear, I sympathise with the Jewish students from Dulwich College who feel aggrieved by comments they say were made nearly half a century ago” she wrote.

“But after 49 years, the timing of these allegations raises obvious questions about political motivation. Why now? Why in this particular moment?”

You will notice that such concerns about political motivations never occurred to the paper during its reporting of Labour anti-semitism.

However, it’s not just Reform-supporting publications who have suddenly stopped prioritising the issue of tackling anti-semitism in our politics, but even some Jewish groups.