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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also reference his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to address the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”