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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A published report last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have pointed out that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his statements.

They also reference his reluctance to discipline a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

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

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

Demand for Accountability

“If he aspires to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an interview, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “never directly attempted to go and hurt anybody”. Farage later put out a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, nearly 50 years ago.”