Top Law Officer Urges Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Claimed Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, judging by their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He added that the leader's "shifting" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

New Allegations Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ 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 alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil with two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have emerged; about 20 people have now alleged they were either subject to or witnesses to deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were being untruthful.

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

They also reference his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He continued: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his nasty behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

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

“Prejudice in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become accepted in politics.”

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

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, remarking: “Have I said things decades ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards released a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”