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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his past behaviour. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" denials had been difficult to believe.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month outlined the accounts of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

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

Another minority ethnic pupil claimed that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now stated they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also point to his inability to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the comments.

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

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for the top job, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an discussion, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage later issued a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”