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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been less than credible.

“In his answers to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month documented the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student 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, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The behaviour they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also reference his reluctance to reprimand a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the statements.

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Suggesting that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he must address the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “never directly attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out 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.”