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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or saw hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication 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 categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”