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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

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

They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

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

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”