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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also point to his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that a group of people 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 serious contender for the top job, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”