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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

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

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

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

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

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”