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

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month outlined the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

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

Since then, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the individuals were not telling the truth.

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

They also point to his failure to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we should not let it to ever become normalised in public life.”

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

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

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”