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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Arguing that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

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

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”