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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

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

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

Fresh Claims Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony 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 ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also reference his reluctance to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His 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 forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

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