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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "shifting" statements had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month detailed the accounts of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were not telling the truth.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, decades in the past.”