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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He added that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were not telling the truth.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also reference his inability to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. 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 stated.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”