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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“In his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month outlined the statements of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either victims of or observed hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also reference his failure to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

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

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he has to address the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”