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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

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

“Throughout his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”