Top Law Officer Urges Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Reported Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He noted that the leader's "constantly changing" denials had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month documented the testimony of several one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "came up to me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

Since then, additional individuals have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The incidents they described span 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 being untruthful.

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also cite his failure to sanction a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Claiming that a group of people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he aspires to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

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

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an appearance, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”