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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month documented the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were misremembering.

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

They also reference his failure to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals 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 cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“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 particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”