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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to 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 answered you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.

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

They also point to his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals 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 cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”