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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”