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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were misremembering.

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also point to his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”