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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month documented the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected 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 denials.

They also cite his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

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

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, decades in the past.”