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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the accounts of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that a group of people have all misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”