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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "evolving" denials had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

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

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

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”