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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A recent investigation last month documented the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including 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 subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. 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: “Suggesting that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “never directly sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”