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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“In his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A published report last month documented the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were misremembering.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“His evolving narrative 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 misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs confront the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

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

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”