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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also reference his inability to sanction a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He added: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

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

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

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”