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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 issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "evolving" statements had been less than credible.

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ 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 claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person 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 come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”