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The UK'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 school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making 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 older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, others have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The incidents they recounted span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

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

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also point to his failure to discipline 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 constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

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

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

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

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”