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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also point to his reluctance to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

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

He continued: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in public life.”

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

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things as a youth that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”