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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "evolving" denials had been less than credible.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

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

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also cite his failure to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [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 lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”