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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" denials had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were misremembering.

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

They also cite his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he urgently needs confront the concerns of the Jewish community, 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 cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

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