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

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been less than credible.

“During his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Come to Light

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

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have emerged; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or witnesses to hurtful conduct by Farage.

The incidents they recounted relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also cite his inability to sanction a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Claiming that a group of people have somehow forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”