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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested 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 denials.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”