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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

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

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved 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.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried 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 published as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”