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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

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

They also cite his failure to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Suggesting that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”