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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those 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 accepted in society.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”