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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology 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, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the leader's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also cite his failure to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”