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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he urgently needs address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later released 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.”