Attorney General Demands Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Claimed Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either subject to or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

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

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to acknowledge the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry 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 society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a specific manner to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”