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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to school contemporaries who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their years in education.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, according to their testimonies of his alleged conduct. He commented that the leader's "constantly changing" statements had been difficult to believe.

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

Further Testimonies Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, Peter Ettedgui, recalled that a 13-year-old Farage "came up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another minority ethnic pupil alleged that when he was roughly nine years old, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two similarly tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That involved me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘Go back that way,’ to any place you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, more people have emerged; approximately twenty people have now alleged they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they outlined span the period when Farage was aged a teenager.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "directly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the accusers were being untruthful.

Observers have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also cite his inability to reprimand a party member, a MP, after she complained about the number of ethnic minorities she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his peers [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He added: “Arguing that 20 people have all forgotten the same things about his offensive behaviour simply is not believable."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a serious contender for the top job, he must confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and apologise to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer said.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, a senior politician said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to appear as a true statesman.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would recognise as being written in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In formal correspondence prior to the release of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever engaged in, condoned, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, stating: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage later released a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published aged 13, so long ago.”