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

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month outlined the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

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

They also point to his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”