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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

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

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”