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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He added that the leader's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“During his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month documented the statements of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the individuals were misremembering.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his responses.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, 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.

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an interview, saying: “Have I said things as a youth that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, decades in the past.”