Racism allegations could derail right-wing populist Nigel Farage’s bid to become Britain’s next PM

By Christian Edwards, CNN

Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

Andrew Field recalls how his school in south London used to hand out a little blue book listing all the students enrolled that year. He says one boy used to go through the book to count how many children had the common English surname Smith, and how many had the Indian surname Patel.

"When there were more Patels than Smiths… he made a public ceremony of burning that school roll in protest," Field told CNN.

That former student - remembered by Field as a "pompous, isolated loner" who enjoyed "strutting about" in school uniform - grew up to become arguably the most influential politician in Britain this century: right-wing populist Nigel Farage.

After leaving a career trading commodities in London's financial district, Farage became a long-serving Member of the European Parliament before campaigning successfully for Britain's exit from the European Union. But today's 61-year-old Farage, now leader of the anti-immigrant Reform UK party, has set his sights on something bigger: If an election were held tomorrow, most polls suggest that he would stand a good chance of becoming the country's next prime minister.

Field is among some 20 of Farage's contemporaries at the elite Dulwich College who have recently and publicly accused him of deeply offensive, racist and antisemitic behavior throughout his teenage