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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" denials had been less than credible.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old 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 pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either subject to or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

The incidents they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”