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The United Kingdom's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who allege 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 past behaviour. He added that the leader's "shifting" denials had been unconvincing.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the accounts of several ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He approached a pupil accompanied by two equally tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Following the initial report, others have emerged; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either subject to or observed hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they described relate to the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were misremembering.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

They also cite his inability to sanction a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

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

He went on to say: “Arguing that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must confront the anxieties of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

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

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

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would understand as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also dodge the issue,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, stating: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Possibly.”

He commented that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published when I was 13, so long ago.”