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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A published report last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his inability to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago 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 “not once intentionally sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”