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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

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

They also cite his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He commented that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, decades in the past.”