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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been less than credible.

“During his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

A published report last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he has to confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”