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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his failure to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

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

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

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

He commented that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”