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

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also cite his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”