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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded 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 stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Emerge

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

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated 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 targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

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

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his failure to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs confront the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, decades in the past.”