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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month detailed the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his failure to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”