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

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

“In his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, others have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

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

They also cite his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as 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 particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”