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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on 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 "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month outlined the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like 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 specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “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.”