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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were misremembering.

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

They also reference his reluctance to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real 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 formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”