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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month outlined the accounts of several ex-pupils 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 ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were being untruthful.

Observers have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”