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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were misremembering.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a party member, 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 constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”