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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A published report last month detailed the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either subject to or witnesses to highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried 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 as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”