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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "evolving" statements had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also cite his inability to discipline a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in society.”

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

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”