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The UK's top law officer, Richard Hermer, has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "undoubtedly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his past behaviour. He commented that the politician's "shifting" explanations had been unconvincing.

“In his answers to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a publication.

Fresh Claims Emerge

A published report last month documented the statements of over a dozen ex-pupils of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a 13-year-old Farage "would approach me and say: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, at times making a long hiss to simulate the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

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

“He approached a pupil with two similarly tall mates and targeted anyone looking ‘different’,” the person said. “That included me on three occasions; inquiring where I was from, and gesturing, saying: ‘That's how you get back,’ to wherever you replied you were from.”

Following the initial report, more people have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or witnesses to highly inappropriate actions by Farage.

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

Denials and Shifting Positions

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

Observers have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his statements.

They also reference his inability to discipline a colleague in his party, a MP, after she complained about the number of people of colour she saw in adverts. She later expressed regret for the comments.

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

He continued: “Arguing that two dozen individuals have all recalled incorrectly the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for high office, he has to confront the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the numerous individuals he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is completely opposed to the principles of this country and we must not permit it to ever become normalised in society.”

In a different discussion, Rachel Reeves said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a genuine leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would recognise as being crafted in a specific manner to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Formal Denials and Subsequent Comments

In lawyers' communications prior to the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers asserted that “the implication that Mr Farage ever took part in, approved of, or led this behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an appearance, saying: “Did I say things as a youth that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a today's standards today in a certain manner? Yes.”

He added that he had “never directly really tried to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently released a fresh denial: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been published as a 13-year-old, decades in the past.”