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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer said that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "evolving" explanations had been less than credible.

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

Further Testimonies Surface

A series of inquiries last month detailed the statements of more than a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, said that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil with two tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either subject to or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

The behaviour they described cover the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted 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 statements.

They also reference his failure to discipline a party member, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

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

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a credible figure for prime minister, he must acknowledge the anxieties of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Prejudice in all its forms is abhorrent to the standards of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, the Chancellor said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would understand as being written in a specific manner to communicate, but also avoid saying certain things,” she noted.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the report, Farage’s legal team asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led such conduct is completely refuted”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an discussion, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could see as being playground talk, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Perhaps.”

He commented that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a further comment: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been printed as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”