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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

“In his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A published report last month documented the statements of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a genuine 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 specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”