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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

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

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, decades in the past.”