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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, others have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his failure to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

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

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”