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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month outlined the testimony of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

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

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, 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 stated.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, saying: “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? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”