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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

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

They also point to his failure to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. 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 commented.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he has to address the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”