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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month documented the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must address the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, so long ago.”