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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

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

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

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month documented the statements of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich 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’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they described span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has failed 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 complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

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

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must confront the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later altered his position in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”