Top Law Officer Calls On Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Reported Racism and Antisemitism.

The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He commented that the politician's "shifting" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Surface

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

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to imitate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two equally tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘different’,” the former student said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have come forward; about 20 people have now claimed they were either targets of or observed highly inappropriate conduct by Farage.

The incidents they described relate to the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has asserted the accusers were being untruthful.

Critics have noted that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also point to his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later said sorry for the comments.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer said.

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

Question of Character

“If he wishes to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he must acknowledge the fears of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician 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 guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being written in a certain style to communicate, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s representatives stated that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly sought to go and upset anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, decades in the past.”