Attorney General Calls On Reform UK Leader to Apologise Over Alleged Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

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

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they described cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also reference his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views 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] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Claiming that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”