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The United Kingdom's attorney general, 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 years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they described span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also reference his failure to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly 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 prime minister, he urgently needs confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”