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

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Emerge

A recent investigation last month detailed the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or witnesses to deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also cite his failure to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”