Attorney General Demands Reform UK Leader to Say Sorry Over Alleged Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his actions as a youth. He added that the leader's "shifting" statements had been less than credible.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A series of inquiries last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate 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 17-year-old Farage.

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have emerged; around two dozen people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

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

“His shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs address the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, supported, or led such conduct is strongly rejected”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an appearance, remarking: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”