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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 former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been less than credible.

“In his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

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

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”