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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

A published report last month detailed the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

Observers have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

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

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Suggesting that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported aged 13, so long ago.”