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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

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

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month detailed the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach 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 stated that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now stated they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Critics have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his inability to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”