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

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the statements of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now alleged they were either subject to or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also cite his failure 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 comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He commented that he had “never directly attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”