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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 former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. 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 said.

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how 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 not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”