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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" explanations had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month detailed the testimony of several former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or observed deeply offensive actions by Farage.

The incidents they outlined span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a certain style to say something, 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 engaged in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, saying: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”