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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged 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, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the accounts of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”