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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“In his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A recent investigation last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or witnesses to deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

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

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

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Suggesting that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“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 other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things as a youth that you could see as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”