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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has demanded the Reform UK leader to issue an apology to school contemporaries who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their accounts of his past behaviour. He added that the politician's "shifting" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Come to Light

A published report last month documented the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, described that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and say: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to imitate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

Since then, others have stepped forward; about 20 people have now alleged they were either victims of or saw highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The political figure has rejected that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the accusers were not telling the truth.

Critics have highlighted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his responses.

They also point to his inability to reprimand a fellow Reform MP, Sarah Pochin, after she made remarks about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] hard to believe, to say the least,” Hermer stated.

He went on to say: “Arguing that 20 people have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Call for Leadership

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for high office, he has to confront the concerns of the Jewish community, and apologise to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

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

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a real leader.

“It is very telling how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also avoid saying certain things,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In legal letters prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s legal team stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever engaged in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later seemingly shifted his stance in an interview, saying: “Have I said things decades ago that you could view as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in a certain manner? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “not once intentionally really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage afterwards put out a new statement: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, decades in the past.”