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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

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

After the story broke, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also point to his reluctance to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

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

“It speaks volumes how 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 communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”