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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.

“Throughout his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also reference his failure to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must address the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice 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 separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“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 said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”