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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "evolving" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The incidents they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

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

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

They also reference his failure to sanction a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician 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 guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”