Top Law Officer Calls On Reform UK Leader to Apologise Over Alleged Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his actions as a youth. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

Fresh Claims Surface

A published report last month detailed the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also reference his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained 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 Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”