Top Law Officer Calls On Reform UK Leader to Apologise Over Claimed Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "evolving" statements had been difficult to believe.

“In his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A recent investigation last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

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

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

They also reference his inability to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He went on to say: “Arguing that a group of people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

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

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a genuine 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 written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He added that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and hurt anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a further comment: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, decades in the past.”