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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also reference his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he must confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”