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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month detailed the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must confront the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”