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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been less than credible.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of several ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

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

After the story broke, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either targets of or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

Observers have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in public life.”

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

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”