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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

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

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour 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 claimed the former classmates were misremembering.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

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

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

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