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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month outlined the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Since then, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed hurtful conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals 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 failure 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 expressed regret for the comments.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”