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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were misremembering.

Commentators have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

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