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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

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

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, others have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were misremembering.

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

They also cite his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

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

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”