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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

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

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were being untruthful.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

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

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to 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 completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”