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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Emerge

A series of inquiries last month documented the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

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

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”