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The UK's attorney general, Richard Hermer, has called on the Reform UK leader to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

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

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

Fresh Claims Emerge

A series of inquiries last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, occasionally including a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was roughly nine years old, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the person said. “That happened to me on three occasions; asking me where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to any place you replied you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have emerged; about 20 people have now alleged they were either targets of or saw deeply offensive conduct by Farage.

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

Changing Stories

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were not telling the truth.

Commentators have highlighted that Farage has failed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also cite his reluctance 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 expressed regret for the statements.

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

He went on to say: “Suggesting that two dozen individuals have all misremembered the same things about his hurtful behaviour simply is not believable."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the many people he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is completely opposed to the values of this country and we must not permit it to ever become legitimised in public life.”

In a separate interview, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to look like a true statesman.

“It says a lot how very little he has to say, and the guarded phrasing that both you and I would recognise as being drafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters prior to the publication of the report, Farage’s lawyers stated that “the implication that Mr Farage ever was involved in, approved of, or led this behaviour is strongly rejected”.

Farage later altered his stance in an appearance, stating: “Have I said things as a youth that you could interpret as being teenage humour, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some way? Perhaps.”

He added that he had “never directly attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”