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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged 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 spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they described cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his failure to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Suggesting that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in society.”

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

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”