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The United Kingdom'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 assert he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also cite his failure to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”