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

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

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

New Allegations Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were misremembering.

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

They also reference his failure to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to address the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”