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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled 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 imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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 flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

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

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

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

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

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”