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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested 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 point to his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

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

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”