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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, others have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have pointed out 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 colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he urgently needs confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”