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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his failure to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an discussion, saying: “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? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”