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

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Since then, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were being untruthful.

Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

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

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct 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 teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”