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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "evolving" statements had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

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

They also cite his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”