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The United Kingdom's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

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

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

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

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have stepped forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either victims of or observed hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his inability to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the statements.

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

He went on to say: “Claiming that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Call for Leadership

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he urgently needs address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in society.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to look like a genuine leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would identify as being drafted in a particular way to say something, but also not to say something,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in a certain manner? Possibly.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage subsequently released a further comment: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”