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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Surface

A series of inquiries last month documented the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The incidents they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten 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 has to acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his explanation in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”