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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“During his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month documented the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The incidents they described span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were not telling the truth.

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

They also cite his inability to sanction a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

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

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he urgently needs 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 anathema to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in society.”

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

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”