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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also reference his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

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

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”