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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 former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the testimony of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

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

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”