Top Law Officer Calls On Reform UK Leader to Say Sorry Over Reported Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their accounts of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

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

New Allegations Come to Light

A published report last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority stated that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were being untruthful.

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

They also point to his failure to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”