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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month documented the statements of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, 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 about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”