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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "evolving" statements had been less than credible.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month outlined the statements of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including 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 with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning 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, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also reference his inability to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, 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.

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

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”