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The UK's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "evolving" statements had been less than credible.

“During his defensive responses to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Fresh Claims Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He approached a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; questioning me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Evolving Explanations

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

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

They also reference his failure to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the comments.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have all forgotten 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 the top job, he must confront the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a other comments, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the release of the investigation, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an interview, stating: “Did I say things decades ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally sought to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, decades in the past.”