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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of several ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The incidents they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, so long ago.”