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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 allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”