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

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" 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 in a wider sense in his denials.

They also point to his inability to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how 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 not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “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.”