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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, described 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 minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also reference his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”