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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who allege he targeted with racist abuse them during their school days.

Hermer stated that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his defensive responses to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer told a publication.

New Allegations Come to Light

A published report last month documented the statements of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

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

“He came over to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘other’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, additional individuals have come forward; approximately twenty people have now claimed they were either victims of or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The incidents they recounted span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Evolving Explanations

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his responses.

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

“Nigel Farage’s constantly changing story about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He continued: “Suggesting that a group of people have all forgotten the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must address the anxieties of the Jewish community, and apologise to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a different discussion, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his explanation in an interview, saying: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “never directly sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, so long ago.”