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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“During his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month documented the accounts of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "came 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 gas showers”.

Another student of colour stated that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have emerged; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The incidents they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.

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

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

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“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, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”