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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

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

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

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

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”