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

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month documented the testimony of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

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

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

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

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Suggesting 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 serious contender for high office, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”