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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the accounts of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

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

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he urgently needs confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”