Top Law Officer Urges Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Alleged Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "evolving" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month documented the statements of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also point to his reluctance to discipline a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to address the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in politics.”

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

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a particular way to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his position in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”