Top Law Officer Calls On Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Claimed Antisemitic and Racist Behaviour.

The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" denials had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage actually condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A recent investigation last month outlined the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, a former pupil, recalled that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil stated that when he was about nine, he was subjected to similar treatment by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the individual said. “That included me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, others have come forward; around two dozen people have now stated they were either targets of or observed deeply offensive past behaviour by Farage.

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

Evolving Explanations

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

Commentators have pointed out that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to discipline a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the statements.

“Nigel Farage’s shifting account about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have somehow recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish community, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we cannot allow 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 genuine leader.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would understand as being drafted in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”