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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "evolving" denials had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were being untruthful.

Critics have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also reference his inability to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

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

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered 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 drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”