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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month documented the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span 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 accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

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

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns 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 abhorrent to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

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

He said that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”