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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

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

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Since then, others have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

Commentators have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also point to his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”