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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been less than credible.

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

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A published report last month documented the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive actions by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for prime minister, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to appear as a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s legal team claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”