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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A published report last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

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

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, so long ago.”