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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" denials had been difficult to believe.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Emerge

A published report last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

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

Another student of colour stated that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also cite his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”