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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his failure to sanction a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“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 particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”