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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He continued: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, decades in the past.”