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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Come to Light

A published report last month outlined the accounts of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people 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 must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

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

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”