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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw hurtful conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted 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 "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were being untruthful.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

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

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

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

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

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”