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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Emerge

A published report last month outlined the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they recounted cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Critics have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also reference his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”