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

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student 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 said you were from.”

Since then, others have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were misremembering.

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also reference his reluctance to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism 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 other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried 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 when I was 13, so long ago.”