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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled 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 mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

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

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

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

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must address the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

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

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, so long ago.”