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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Surface

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also point to his reluctance to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views 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] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”