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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

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

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Observers have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also point to his failure to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words 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 legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, decades in the past.”