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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

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

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

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

They also cite his inability 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 said sorry for the comments.

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

He added: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent 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 “say something” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”