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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed 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 ‘other’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also point to his inability to discipline a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

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

He added: “Suggesting that 20 people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he must confront the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in public life.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an appearance, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, nearly 50 years ago.”