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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "evolving" statements had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

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

They also reference his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He continued: “Arguing that a group of 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 legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”