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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they recounted span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his failure to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”