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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month documented the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”