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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month documented the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were being untruthful.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

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