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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

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

Critics have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to 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 television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He added: “Claiming that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”