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

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his past behaviour. He commented that the leader's "shifting" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month documented the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a teenage Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making 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 similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the individual said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The incidents they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the former classmates were misremembering.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

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

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he has to acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”