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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "evolving" statements had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old 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 gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”