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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "evolving" statements had been difficult to believe.

“In his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month documented the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”