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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also reference his reluctance to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

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

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally 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 aged 13, so long ago.”