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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“In his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of several ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”