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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

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

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

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 tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were not telling the truth.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

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

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”