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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "shifting" statements had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A published report last month detailed the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

Critics have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how 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 say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”