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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "evolving" statements had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Surface

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach 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 student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”